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Jarnin set to impress

ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi’s fifth meeting of the campaign is a fascinating six race card with four conditions races on the Capital’s turf course.

The most valuable of these, a prep for the Group 1 HH The President’s Cup is over 2200m and has attracted 14 declarations, headed by Jarnin, winner of that feature last year for Saifaldin Deeb, a press release said.

Wayne Smith comes in for the mount and said: “It is a nice spare ride and his form is there for all to see. He has to concede weight but goes well fresh and I am looking forward to it.”

Fifth to Jarnin last season was Nesnaas, trained by Gill Duffield and the choice of Richard Hills from three runners owned by Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

He was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 course and distance Emirates Championship but Time Out (Philippe Barbe/Kieren Fallon) did beat over course and distance last season.

The penultimate event, over 1600m, is a prep for the juveniles’ Abu Dhabi Championship and Hills has chosen to ride Aqmaar for Musabah Al Muhairi with Tadhg O’Shea on Masharref for Ali Raihe Al Raihe for the same owner.

The concluding 1400m conditions race, the only Thoroughbred contest on the card and a prep for HH The President’s Cup on Boxing Day and it looks a competitive heat.

The weights are headed by the ultra versatile and consistent Escape Route, representing the in-form Satish Seemar/Richard Mullen combination.

Stable companions Warriors Key (Harry Bentley) and Teslin (Ted Durcan) are others to consider, while With Interest should go close for Ali Rashid Al Raihe under Royston Ffrench.

So Will I, trained by Doug Watson, may be a nine year old now but ran well enough at last season’s Carnival to suggest plenty of ability/enthusiasm remain.

The return to turf should suit and, with a run under his belt this season, he should go well under Richard Hills.

Dhruba Selvaratnam saddled Jaasoos to win last week’s Thoroughbred National Day Cup and his Yasoodd looks certain to go close but is a horse who is very hard to win with, the release added.