Mahab Al Shimaal Preview

My Race of the Week is Mahab Al Shimaal Sponsored by Emirates Airline tonight at Meydan.  It is a 1200m Group 3 Contest to be staged on the Tapeta at Meydan and twelve runners go to post for this competitive race. These sprints are always fiercely  contested and the high octane action always bring a real thrill to the crowd.

Green Beret tops the card and he has been in really good form. The secret with this son of Fayruz is all down to the start – if he makes a good start he is always in the shake up and he won the Attijari Al Islami Visa Infinite Card really nicely on his last start at the Dubai International Racing Carnival at the Meydan.  He is trained by the leading trainer in the UAE this season Ali Rashid Al Raihe who is also represented by Alazeyab who finished third to Green Beret in that race and is now half a kilo better off at the weights. Gellarni Siddiqui, Assistant Trainer to Al Raihe said: “we are expecting big runs from both our horses and I cannot split them”.

Second to Green Beret in the Attijari Al Islami was Sillah who reopposes again tonight. She is trained by Dandy Nicholls, known as the “sprint king” in his native UK, and despite a slightly disappointing run last week this front running gelding is sure to be on the premises. Dandy Nicholls said: “we are getting closer and one must win soon”.

Ahead of Sillah last week was Iver Bridge Lad who gave a very good account of himself when a close third behind Charlie’s Moment. 

Bankable is the highest rated horse in the race and should be in the shake up after a couple of unlucky results in his first two Carnival runs. Trainer Herman Brown looks to have found a good opportunity for him to get his confidence back.

Barbecue Eddie was in great form when winning  the Business Banking Stakes at the Carnival and will hope to hold that form now being dropped back to 1200m. His last run over that distance was when he was close to Alo Pura on the night she broke the course record. The inform stable of Doug Watson also run Force Freeze in this race and he may have to improve a bit to feature.

Godolphin have three entries in this race with Frankie Dettori electing to ride Global City who was second at the Carnival last week when running as a reserve. Rileyskeepingfaith was also second on his last Carnival start beaten narrowly by War Artist and Bank Merger certainly looks the third string after being well beaten by Barbecue Eddie in his last start. These are bound to be a tough team although Global City looks to be the pick.

Conveyance looks an exciting recruit to UAE racing now being trained by Satish Seemar and with two Grade 3 victories last year in the US looks to hold a major chance.  The field is completed by the German trained Indomito who has had two promising runs at the Carnival so far.

This is a fiercely competitive renewal and having thought about this I am going to take a chance on my Pick 7 form and put my selection as Conveyance with Bankable second and Green Beret completing my tricast entry.