• Home
• /
• Horse Racing

All eyes on Presvis

DUBAI - Presvis returns to the local scene to open his Middle Eastern and South West Asian seasonal campaign from Al Rashidiya Group-2, the highlight of the seven-race card in the second meet of the Dubai International racing Carnival at the Meydan racecourse on Thursday.

Top English jockey Ryan Moore reunites with the gelded son of Sakhee as trainer Luca Cumani is looking forward to see his seven-year-old returning to form to erase the disappointing image of his last season’s campaign.

Presvis has first come to Dubai in 2009 with two wins from seven starts in Britain. Murphy was in the saddle in five appearances and succeeded by George Baker in the sixth start before Ryan Moore took over and rode Presvis to victory at Newbury en route to Dubai.

And from Nad Al Sheba, Presvis began to make his presence felt. He won two handicap contests over ten furlong each under Ryan Moore and finished third in the 1777m Dubai Duty Free Group-1 behind Gladiatorus on the 2009 Dubai World Cup night. Thereafter, Presvis was shipped to Hong Kong to land the 2000 QEII Cup Group-1 at the Sha Tin Racecourse and was narrowly beaten by the then 2010 Dubai World Cup winner Glorea De Campeao in the 2000m Singapore Airlines Cup Group-1 at the Karaj Racecourse.

After a short stay in Britain, Presvis was shipped to Hong Kong where he was beaten by Vision D’Etat in the Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Cup Group-1. Thereafter, the globe trotter returned to Dubai and after an unsuccessful start on the Tapieta he was returned to the turf to beat Alexandrus in a handicap test en route to the Dubai Duty Free Group-1. From that point Presvis started the downward fall after finishing 11^th behind Al Shemali. Then he was dethroned in the QEII Cup by Viva Pataca followed by a humiliating defeat at the hands of Lizard’s Desire in the Singapore Airlines and shattered by Byword in the Prince of Wales Stakes Group-1 at Ascot last June.

Meanwhile, Cumani’s charge has a touch of class but assistant trainer Charlie Henson said: “He is in good form at home but has not raced since June and is certain to improve from the run.”

In the meantime, the most successful Carnival trainer, bin Suroor is seeking his 100^th winner at the annual racing extravaganza, while South African de Kock, second to bin Suroor in the Carnival statistics, is on 99 UAE winners. It will be a major surprise if at least one does not bring up their century.

They both have leading contenders in the featured 1800m Al Rashidiya, a Group Two contest on the Turf over the same course and distance as the Group One Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup night.

Bin Suroor, who won this last year with Alexandros, has already saddled the big race winners on the first two nights of the Carnival and relies on Caymans, a Group Two winner in his native Australia but well beaten on his one start in the UK. Bin Suroor said: “He did disappoint in England but that was on very heavy ground and the Meydan surface will be much more to his liking. He is in good form and I am hopeful.”

De Kock also has a good record in the race and is looking to win it for a fourth time. He saddles South African Horse of the Year Irish Flame who has to give weight to all his 12 rivals. He said: “The horse is in great form but has to concede weight over a trip short of his best. He should run well but I am hopeful as opposed to confident.”

Steele Tango was a course and distance winner in a handicap on the first night of the Carnival and Ted Durcan takes the ride. He said: “It is a great spare ride and the horse seems to have thrived in Dubai. He did it well last time but this is obviously a better race.”

Five handicaps and one conditions race complete the all Thoroughbred card with all eyes on Messrs bin Suroor and de Kock as they seek to complete their respective milestones.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com