A thriller in the offing

DUBAI — Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori have every chance to scoop all the International Racing Carnival champion owner, jockey and trainer awards which will be decided on Thursday. Godolphin has already bagged the owners’ title while Christophe Soumillon is leading 11-8 over Frankie Dettori and Mike De Kock is 15-13 over Saeed bin Suroor in the trainers’ championship.

Published: Thu 10 Mar 2011, 1:03 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 8:43 AM

Dettori’s mission to at least go level with Soumillon is tough, but not impossible. The Italian could bring home three of his Thursday’s five rides for his main employer Saeed to secure both titles.

Otherwise, Hearts Of Fire, ridden by Adrie de Vries, would be hard to beat as the Firebreak colt lines up for honours in the 1600m Zabeel Mile, the highlight of the final leg of the 2011 Dubai International Racing Carnival at the Meydan Racecourse on Thursday.

Having finished a respectable fourth and fifth in his only two starts in the Carnival in two Gr-2 contests over varying distances at the same course, the Qatari raider is still to show the best of him and should strike in this particular company.

Meanwhile, the night kicks off with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a Conditions event that has attracted a competitive field of 12 three-year-olds.

Lord Of The Stars, Chcolociuous and Rosina Grey, a few to mention, are all in with a chance to make it a memorable farewell to the eighth edition of the international horse race extravaganza.

Rosina Grey returns to action over an ideal 1400m trip in the hands and heels of apprentice jockey Harry Bentley under more favourable conditions.

The three-year-old Proclamation filly was heavily raced back at home and she won four of her 12 starts last season before she was shipped to Dubai to finish close fourth to Introvert in the 1600m Meydan Classic (Listed) race.

Meanwhile, the multi Group-1 winner JJ The Jet Plane makes his seasonal reappearance in the 1000m The Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprises Handicap (turf). The main target of the Jet Master son was the 1200m Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr-1) on the Dubai World Cup night, but he failed to handle the All-Weather surface, and the connections had to shift him to the turf. And with the fact that the only turf sprint in the big night is a Gr-2 contest, Al Qouz Sprint, it’s still unclear what course of action the horse’s connections will take should JJ The Jet Plane manage to win the race.

Opinion Poll, Ahmed Ajtebi up, may not face a strong challenge in the 3200m DRC Golden Cup which has attracted 11 stayers going to post.

In the fifth race, the 1900m All-Weather Dubai Duty Free Double Millionaire, the mount of Godolphin first jockey Frankie Dettor, Spring Of Fame, looks good to cross the finish line ahead of the others. And Dettori may complete a hat-trick in the seventh and final race of the night aboard Enak.

KT Selections: 1. Rosina Grey 2. Emirates Champion 3. JJ The Jet Plane . 4. Opinion Poll 5. Spring Of Fame 6. Hearts Of Fire 7. Enak