UAE Oaks - looks to be a stroll for Mahbooba?

My race of the week this week is the UAE Oaks sponsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan on Thursday. It is the sixth race on the card and a 1900m Group 3 contest. Seven runners go to post for this competitive contest.

Mahbooba is the stand out entry for the de Kock yard who won this event in 2010 with Raihana. The UAE  1000 Guineas winner has looked in great form and with her eventual aim being the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night she will certainly be the one to beat.  De Kock is the leading trainer at the Carnival and the Galileo filly is rated 116 some 6 lbs clear of her nearest rival in the weights. De Kock also saddles Empire Rose who finished fourth to Mahbooba in the UAE  1000 Guineas at Meydan on 3^rd February and  I do not expect her to reverse that form.

The Saudi Arabian entry Electric Waves is the second highest filly in the race and she is having her first run for trainer Naif Altawi. With four wins in the UK for Ed McMahon she showed she is not a filly to ignore and on her last start she won the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot in good style.  She also won a listed contest so this was no flash in the pan. Richard Mullen was her regular jockey in the UK and keeps the ride.

The Godolphin Team have won this race six times since it’s inception in 2001 with Saeed bin Suroor training all these winners. He is double handed this evening and Frankie Dettori has chosen to ride Khawlah who is having her first start in the UAE. She is relatively lightly raced and the daughter of Cape Cross’s, from the family of Sea the Stars, best form was a third in the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes. The other Godolhpin contender is Abtasaamah who has made two appearances on the Tapeta at Meydan and was last seen when fifth in the UAE 1,000 Guineas behind Mahbooba and Empire Rose.

Quick Val for Herman Brown and Amica for Gay Kelleway complete this small but competitive field. Kelleway said: “we are hopeful our filly may run a big race”.

Having looked at the race I fully expect Mahbooba to gain back to back victories in the UAE Oaks and Electric Waves and Khawlah to make her work for the victory hard.