Grade 1 winners star on fantastic 2022 finale

There will be early hints as to possible Dubai World Cup contenders at Meydan Racecourse on Friday when a superb final card of 2022 features the Listed Entisar Stakes, plus four races on the turf.

First run in 2014, the Entisar Stakes [Presented by Ministry of Economy] is run over the same 2000metres as the $12million Dubai World Cup and this year’s renewal sees Remorse, sixth in the World Cup in March, make his return to action for trainer Bhupat Seemar. The Al Rashid Racing-owned gelding is the pick of stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea.

“Remorse kept on improving last year; at least 25lbs or something like that,” said Seemar. “He won a Conditions race at Jebel Ali and, although he didn’t win after that, he kept on knocking at the door in all the big ones, including a superb run in the World Cup.

“We’ll start him in The Entisar and go from there.”

Seemar also sends out the exciting Bendoog, the mount of James Doyle, who won his seasonal debut in a strong Rated Conditions event over 1600metres three weeks ago.

“I think we need to put some weights on him to stop him from growing!” joked the trainer. “He’s just a big, humungous horse. Ten furlongs with seasoned horses, we’ll find out where he is, but he’s matured mentally this season too and I don’t think much bothers him.”

There are four Grade 1 winners in the field: defending champion For The Top [pictured], for Musabbeh Al Mheiri, Ajuste Fiscal and Atletico El Culano, both for trainer Julio Olascoaga. Salem Bin Ghadayer runs Chilean-bred First Constitution who has joined him from the States, where he won a Listed race at Belmont Park.

“It’s great to have Atletico El Culano here,” said Olascoaga. “His owner wanted to test him against the best in the world in Dubai and we were super happy with his first run, when he ran against some good horses over a mile, which is too short for him.”

Atletico El Culano will be ridden by stable jockey Jose da Silva, with Dubai World Cup-winning rider Fernando Jara coming in for the ride on Ajuste Fiscal, who was ultra-impressive when winning over course and distance two weeks’ ago.

“He came out very well from his win 15 days ago and he looks like he’s improving every day,” added Olascoaga. “That was why the team decided not to wait longer and run him now.”

Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has a fine record in the 1000 Guineas Trial [Presented by Dubai Airports], which is the most valuable race on the card with a purse of AED183,650. He runs Deep Thoughts, a three-race maiden, in the 1400metre contest, which has attracted a strong field of 11.

Doug Watson also does well with fillies and he sends out Awasef and Asawer, both owned by Al Rashid Racing, who were first and third, respectively, on their career debuts.

“Awasef, who won the first time, was really professional,” said Watson. “She travelled well, had a lot of speed and finished off the race great. Asawer broke OK and then got squeezed and I really haven’t seen an older horse or a two-year-old do what she did that night. She was last turning in and weaved her way through there; took the kickback. I think she’ll learn from that and if she can keep herself in the race early, she’ll be tough. The further we go, the better she’s going to get.”

The weights are topped by Jewel Genie Lamp, who must concede four and a half kilos to her rivals due to being a Southern Hemisphere-bred three-year-old. The daughter of Drosselmeyer was fifth in the Uruguay 1000 Guineas last time out. 

“She’s a super nice filly, who came from Uruguay,” said the trainer. “We’ve been aiming her at this for a long time. We’re expecting a very good run, which will also be preparation for the Carnival, for the UAE 1000 Guineas and the Oaks.”

The evening’s featured turf race is the AED120,000 Nad Al Sheba Classic [Presented by Ministry Of Economy], over 2000metres, which sees Maydanny top the weights for trainer Ali Al Bedwawi. A Listed winner in the UK for trainer Mark Johnston, he has only had one local start and is the mount of Dane O’Neill.

Bin Suroor runs two; local debutant Electrical Storm being the mount of Pat Cosgrave, with Gabriel Malune onboard Night Of Luxury, who makes his fourth start at Meydan.

There is also an interesting colts’ maiden, race seven, in which Watson runs Shirl’s Bee and Jassar, the latter a brother to G3 UAE Oaks winners Polar River and Down On Da Bayou. Stable jockey Pat Dobbs rides Shirl’s Bee, however, and Watson has high hopes for the son of Bee Jersey, who was also trained at Red Stables.

“He’s shown a lot at home and he trialled extremely well,” said the trainer, before adding of Jassar: “He’s a big boy and he’s taken a while to come around, but he trialled well the other day.”

The card opens with the 1200metre Arabian Radio Network Maiden, on turf, in which Torrkee looks to have a leading chance for trainer Michael Costa, while dual Abu Dhabi winner Celestial Spheres faces 10 rivals in the Dubai Airports Handicap, race four, over 2410metres on turf.

Racing starts at 6pm and tickets, starting at AED2 for General Admission, are available from Dubairacingclub.com.