Hornsby Headlines Turf Handicap Feature At Meydan
Racing at Meydan today is highlighted by a quality turf handicap over 1600m in which the weights are headed by the 6YO gelded son of Dubawi, Hornsby.
Trained by Sandeep Jadhav for Majed Ali Almarzooqui, his only local victory was registered in the non-Carnival company, a 1400m handicap at the beginning of January 2018.
Nicholas Bachalard introduces an interesting new recruit for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid al Maktoum in the shape of Kaanoon who landed three of his first four starts in Britain for Roger Varian. By Bated Breath, the 4-year-old colt has only had six outings to date and, with stable jockey Chris Hayes injured, Tadhg O’Shea picks up a nice spare ride.
With Jim Crowley in action at Lingfield in England, Dane O’Neill had the choice of four runners for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and has opted to partner Yaalail, another not seen previously in the UAE. Now in the capable hands of Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, the homebred 4-year-old Intello gelding was previously trained in France by John Hammond, winning two of his five starts, including his most recent in the middle of October.
Doug Watson and Pat Dobbs combine with Pouvoir Magique for his third start for the trainer having previously won three of his eight British outings for John Gosden and HRH Princess Haya of Jordan.
Far from disgraced on either local appearance, it would be no surprise to see him go close in what appears a wide open race.
Watson saddles three in the best of the races on dirt, a 2000m handicap, with Dobbs choosing to ride Dehbashi in a contest the pair combined to win last year. This will be just his fourth start of the season. Also based with Watson at Red Stables, Sam Hitchcott is aboard Big Brown Bear, a gutsy winner of a 2200m dirt handicap, but who seemingly did not appreciate the conditions at Jebel Ali on his only subsequent start.
To be saddled by Al Rayhi, Quartier Francais chased home Big Brown Bear in that aforementioned 2200m handicap in what was one of the most exciting, battling, finishes of the UAE season to date. The mount of Fernando Jara, he was the second, over 1600m to Mazeed (also in action on Saturday in a 1600m handicap when he will be ridden by O’Shea for Satish Seemar) before failing to fire on the Abu Dhabi turf over 2200m.
O’Shea again rides for Sheikh Ahmad and Bachalard, the trio combining with Top Clearance who will be having just his third start of the season and first this year. Undoubtedly very talented, the 7-year-old is very hard to predict, but on his very best form, he would certainly be a major player off his current handicap mark.
Curated from Press Release by ERA