Tonight's seventh meeting of the Dubai International Racing Carnival is a nine-race marathon featuring the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort over a mile on the turf track. The South African trainers Herman Brown and Mike De Kock are bith well represented having already won the race five times between them in six years.
Brown relies on Traffic Guard with De Kock saddling two with Imbongi looking the first string, although Frankie Dettori is on stable companion Hunting Tower, one of his six rides. Ireland's Summit Surge looks the main danger to the South Africans. De Kock's Honour Devil, who won the UAE Derby last March, should be hard to beat in the mile dirt conditions race, while the Purebred Arabians start proceedings, with Rod Simpson's Fryvolous expected to win the Group 2 Bani Yas. The rest of the card is ultra competitive.
Valedictum, from Australia, will be a popular choice in the first 1500m turf handicap after a pleasing local debut, while Banknote, owned by The Queen of England, would be a popular winner of the second one. Godolphin are enjoying a prolific campaign and Asset seeks a second 2009 victory in the six-furlong turf handicap, while stable companion Irish Mayhem can go close in the 10-furlong dirt handicap. Both are trained by Saeed bin :Suroor and will be ridden by Dettori, though the latter carries the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum.
Sugar Ray, who contests the first of two 12-furlong handicaps could be another winner for the Godolphin team, while the second one is the ninth race on a long night. Bin Suroor again has a serious contender in Captain Webb in what could be a good night for the master of Al Quoz. @Email:jsullivan@thenational.ae
