Al Mamun Monlau, last year’s winner of the Dubai Kahayla Classic, returns for a prep race over the course and distance in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round under former Godolphin jockey Frankie Dettori at the Super Saturday meeting at Meydan.
The six-year-old son of Munnjis edged out Versac PY by a short head in the Kahayla Classic and the two renew their rivalry with plenty of challengers around them in what looks a wide open race.
Al Mamun Monlau followed his victory in Dubai with another Group-1 prize in France in the summer but hasn’t won in his past three starts.
He was a two-lengths fourth behind Muntaser, before a head second to Altair, then finished seventh to Mushrae, beaten a length, all over 2,000 metres in France.
Versac PY was fourth on his reappearance behind Raaziq in Abu Dhabi and runner up to Rabbah De Carrere in the middle leg of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan, both over 2,200m.
“This is a strong contest but he’s going in to this race in good shape,” Erwan Charpy said of the seven-year-old bay by Njewman.
Ernst Oertel is double handed with Shayel Aldhabi and the 2013 UAE Arabian Derby winner Skoop, the choice of stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
Majed Al Jahouri, who has won all the five Group-1 prizes for Purebred Arabians so far, has entered three – Raaziq, Awam and Ghalib.
Raaziq, under top French jockey Olivier Peslier, looks the one to beat on the strength of his two local starts.
He got the better of Skoop by a neck on his local debut and then went down by a neck to stable companion Rabbah De Carrere in the President’s Cup, both over 2,200m in Abu Dhabi.
apassela@thenatioanl.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
