The wait is over! Live racing returns to Meydan Racecourse for the first time since March, as the Dubai Racing Carnival gets underway on Friday, 8 November.
The track stages a seven-race card, all on dirt, the feature of which is the AED300,000 1600metre Emirates Airline Handicap, race five, for which a bumper field of 14 has been declared.
As a five-time Meydan winner, THEGREATCOLLECTION (pictured) deserves top billing here. The ten-year-old is a real favourite with the Doug Watson team and posted a memorable win here in January.
“There were bigger wins for us but that was a favourite,” said Watson. “We’ve had him since he was two and he’s going to be turning 11 in January. He still has a lot of enthusiasm for the game and we’ll be keeping the blinkers off.”
Taking on THEGREATCOLLECTION are four for Michael Costa, who has made a runaway start to the season with six winners so far. His stable jockey Ben Coen rides ALHZEEM, who won twice at Jebel Ali last season. He should have an impact, as may stablemate MESHTRI despite having been off the track since December 2023. He will be ridden by Australian jockey Jimmy Osman, who is enjoying his temporary stint in the UAE with four winners so far.
“Alhzeem is going to run through the handicaps,” said Costa of the grey. “He’s a horse who gets a little bit back in the field so he was struggling at Meydan and he needs things to go his way. He does a good job at Jebel Ali where he can be a little bit more dynamic.
“We’ll try and take him through the grades and if he does well then maybe we can get to a low-level Black Type race this year.”
Costa runs three in the preceding 1200metre Emirates Airline Handicap, with KAL BARG, second at Abu Dhabi last week, having race fitness on his side, although Coen has opted for MOJEYRR, winner of a 1000metre Meydan trial last month.
“KAL BARG won his maiden [at Jebel Ali] and then got rated very highly,” said Costa. “He looks like he’s come back well.”
Among the ten-strong field is a newcomer for Doug Watson; SWINDON, who was previously trained in the UK by William Haggas. “His last run was a win at Sandown,” says the trainer. “He’s for [owners] Sky Racing and he was a little bit stiff when he first came over, but he’s trained really well since then.”
Costa also runs three in the second race, the Emirates Holidays Maiden over 1400metres. They include LA YETAL, winner of a 1000metre trial at Jebel Ali, who the Costa team have high hopes for.
“LA YETAL is a horse that we’ve got a lot of time for,” said the trainer. “We took him for a little spin around [Meydan] a few weeks ago and he looked to handle the surface well.”
LA YETAL’s six rivals include DIAMOND DEALER, half-brother to G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio, who was the impressive winner of a two-runner 1000metre Meydan Trial in October. He takes his chance for the Dubai World Cup-winning pair of Tadhg O’Shea and Bhupat Seemar.
Another interesting contender is the grey NORATO, who makes his local debut for trainer Julio Olascoaga, having finished second on debut at Maronas, Uruguay, in July.
“He arrived 25 days ago and came ready and prepared by the team in Uruguay,” said the trainer. “He made his debut running second, and was pointed to the UAE season, which I think was a good decision by the owner Stud Guara Del Sur.
“He looks great in the mornings, and just had some maintenance work last week to check that everything was in place.”
The card begins at 9.30pm SGT with the Arabian Adventures Handicap, over 1400metres for Purebred Arabians.
