Al Raihe raring to go

UAE trainer saddles Al Shemali to face the test of Gitano Hernando and others at Meydan today.

By Hisham Al Gizouli

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Published: Thu 3 Feb 2011, 10:56 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 8:42 AM

UAE trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe is thinking big as the former camel rider saddles Al Shemali to face the test of Gitano Hernando and others in the Round II of Al Maktoum Challenge, the highlight of the fourth meeting of the DIRC at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday.

“Al Shemali will be targeting the big race on the big night,” Al Raihe hinted at the 16^th running of the $10m Dubai World Cup Group-1 scheduled at the Meydan Racecourse late March.

“We will try him again on the All-Weather surface to find out the extent of improvement which he has made since finishing less than three lengths behind the Japanese filly Red Desire in the RIII of the Al Maktoum Challenge G-2 on the Super Thursday last season. We have redirected him to the turf in the $5m Dubai Duty Free G-1 where he lived up to the challenge and won easily. Thereafter, we sent him for a line-up in the Singapore Airlines International Cup Gr-1 and he finished a respectable third to Lizard’s Desire after facing traffic jam in the concluding stages of the race,” the UAE trainer added.

“Today, Al Shemali will be facing a very tough challenge and we will see how he will show the best of him on seasonal reappearance against a quality field, including Mike de Kock’s Bold Silvano and Marco Botti’s Gitano Hernando. He has won on the All-Weather track but not at this level. He will improve for the outing but we would love to go at the Dubai World Cup itself this year and this is the obvious place to start,” he added.

Meanwhile, Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who has won the event seven times, saddles Spring of Fame under Frankie Dettori. “We have done well in this race in the past and Spring Of Fame has improved from that run and is training well. He deserves this step up in class as did Allybar last year but it looks a hot race this year,” Bin Suroor said.

South African Mike de Kock has high hopes from Bold Silvano, winner of the Group One Durban July when last seen in racecourse action. He too is being targeted at the Dubai World Cup and De Kock explained: “He is not 100 per cent fit certainly but definitely ready for a race. He is working well in the mornings on (the All-Weather) and we are very hopeful he can transfer his Turf form to the new surface. It should be a true test with such a high-class field.”

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is well represented in the night’s curtain raiser, the 2200m Purebred Arabian equivalent. Kandar Du Falgas, Richard Hills up, looks good to retain the title for the Blue Stables of the leading international horse breeder and owner.

The UAE 1000 Guineas, over 1600m, is the first Classic of 2011 and it is another race for which Saeed bin Suroor has a great record with seven wins. However, Mike De Kock’s Mahbooba looks certain to be the Pick-7 favourite after chasing home stable companion Reem in the trial with bin Surroor’s hopeful Abtasaamah back in the third.

De Kock also appears to hold a major chance in the 1200m Group Three Al Shindagha Sprint, a race he won in 2008 with subsequent Dubai World Cup runner-up Asiatic Boy. He saddles Our Giant who won over course and distance on the opening night of the 2011 Carnival and De Kock said: “He is in great form. We want to try him over further at some stage on the (All-Weather) but this looks the right option for now.”

The popular pick-7 competition runs from race two through race eight, and the double tri-cast competition combines races 3 and 4, 5 and 6 and 7 and 8.

KT Selections: Race 2: Roayh 3. Mahbooba 4. Buzzword 5. Dynamic Blitz 6. Hujaylea 7. Gitano Hernando 8. Here To Win

Day’s Best: Mahbooba