After saddling Shuruq to win the featured prize on last week's opening night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival (DWCC) and claiming the UAE 2,000 Guineas Trial with Emirates Flyer on Thursday, Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor will be hoping to take the momentum forward in the first Saturday meeting of the season at Meydan Racecourse.
He is double-handed in the 1,200-metres handicap on the Tapeta with I’m Back for owner Saeed Manana and Pied A Terre for Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed, and he has entered Famous Poet for Hadi Al Tajir in a similar handicap over 1,600m on the turf.
Silvestre de Sousa, the stable jockey, takes the ride on I’m Back.
Godolphin’s Emirati jockey Ahmed Ajtebi is onboard Pied A Terre in what looks like a competitive sprint.
“I’m Back worked nicely last Sunday, and this looks a good race for him. He will improve for the run but should run well,” Bin Suroor said. “Pied A Terre is also going well in the mornings but, likewise, will come on for this outing.”
Dhruba Selvaratnam and James Doyle combined to win Thursday’s featured Dubawi Stakes with United Color, and they rely on Roicead, who ran to an excellent fourth at the first DWCC meeting.
“That was a very good run nine days ago,” Doyle said. “That was over 1,000 metres, but the extra 200 metres should not be a problem and he should go well.”
Mike De Kock has Red Duke in his first start for the yard and running over a trip he has not tackled since his juvenile debut in May 2011.
The five-year-old chestnut son of Hard Spun is a Group 2 winner over 1,400m as a two year old but has not won in 15 starts since.
“His best form is very good, and he shows enough speed at home to try him over 1,200 metres,” jockey Johnny Geroudis said. “He will improve for the run, certainly, but this looks the right race to get him back on the track.”
Leading trainer Musabah Al Muhairi has Hattaash and Chasing Halo, and they should also be considered in the 15-runner field.
De Kock has two in the turf handicap with Specific Gravity, to be ridden by Thierry Thulliez, second up after running well for a long way at Meydan nine days ago.
Stable companion Final Button has not run since the beginning of March but looks capable of a big run under Geroudis.
“Both are in good form at home,” said De Kock. “Specific Gravity ran well enough first time and would have needed that. Final Button never really fired last year but seems in good order.”
Bin Suroor’s Famous Poet was a good second on his most recent outing at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting in August and should go well under De Sousa.
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