Saturday’s Dubai World Cup meeting will no doubt be overshadowed by the recent passing of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and one of racing’s most prominent owners for the past three decades.
Sheikh Hamdan’s famous blue and white silks will again be on show on one of the biggest days of the year, and in Khaadem, they hold strong claims of enjoying another major success in the Al Quoz Sprint as he kicks off a five-year-old campaign that promises much.
With the coronavirus pandemic having forced the abandonment of this meeting last year, Meydan officials will be thrilled with the strong turnout 12 months on and five Group Ones highlight a truly world-class card that sees runners from the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Unites States also take part.
Jesus' Team kicks off the staking plan, but the headline bet on the card comes in the preceding Dubai Sheema Classic with MISHRIFF a strong play at 11/4.
John Gosden’s French Derby hero went under the radar at the beginning of last season, announcing himself with a surprise success in Listed company at Newmarket before quickly progressing through the ranks and ending the year as a strong fancy for the Champions Stakes.
At the end of a busy campaign, Mishriff looked to have cried enough at Ascot but was right back to his best when reappearing with victory in the Saudi Cup just over a month ago, beating the highly-touted Charlatan in stoic fashion.
That was a monster performance given it was his first try on dirt, and that the European runner proved classy and resilient enough to get the better of a Bob Baffert-trained dirt specialist; no mean feat and one that hasn’t been achieved too often in the past.
Still, I think it underlines that in Mishriff, we are dealing with a very special colt – one whose potential rivalry with Love later in the season is already whetting the appetite – and I fully expect him to prove a class above the likes of Mogul and Japan’s Chrono Genesis.
The latter merits obvious respect given a profile that is remarkably consistent, while that fact Aidan O’Brien has kept Mogul in training this term following his Grand Prix de Paris and Hong Kong Vase victories last season speaks volumes.
However, Magic Wand and Idaho both looked in need of the run when comfortably held in this race in 2019 and 2018 respectively and I wonder if O’Brien and his paymasters at Coolmore will be viewing this as more of a political exercise than a major early-season target, with Mogul’s campaign surely working back from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October.
A son of Galileo, Mogul clearly retains huge potential, but Mishriff might just be a superstar in waiting, one whose match-fitness is assured and who has no doubts surrounding his acclimatisation to the Middle East.
1m4f clearly represents a new test for him, but his brilliant victory over an extended 1m2f in the French Derby could hardly have been more impressive and he found plenty for pressure on a surface as demanding as dirt last time. I have no worries about his stamina and he rates the bet of the night at 11/4.
I’ll just about resist an interest in the UAE Derby, for all I was very tempted to take the 8/1 on offer for Mouheeb to take another step forward following his game 2000 Guineas triumph here early last month.
Having been made to pay for a slow start on his previous start, Mouheeb was much sharper from the gates last time and looked to be crying out for this stiffer test when dourly getting the job done.
This meeting rarely goes by without Godolphin taking centre stage at some point and Secret Advisor holds strong claims for the boys in blue when he goes to post for the Dubai Gold Cup. His comeback run in Saudi Arabia was perfectly satisfactory and given the handy weight pull he enjoys with old rival Spanish Mission, his claims appear rock-solid.
I wouldn’t write off Spanish Mission, though, given the progress he has made since joining Andrew Balding and 6/1 about him is sure to lure in each-way thieves.
I won’t be getting involved, nor in the Al Quoz Sprint which I mentioned at the top of the piece, but I do think Khaadem is a sprinter capable of winning at the highest level, and hot favourite Space Blues might have to work harder than his odds of 6/4 suggest.
Victory for Khaadem would certainly be a fitting tribute to his owner, whose involvement in horse racing was typified by big days like this one, where the most illustrious names in the sport do battle for some of the most generous prizes on the international Flat racing calendar.
Posted at 1600 GMT on 25/03/21
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