Lucky Ray Ready
for Feature Race

The Argentine bred six-year-old son of Halo Sunshine was impressive on his reappearance as he finish second behind the fast-finishing Jet Express over an inadequate mile handicap rated 75-100 at the same Jebel Ali racecourse six weeks ago.

Daragh O’Donohoe retains the ride in one of the four entries from the champion trainer Doug Watson’s yard. And over the extended trip and with a lesser weight to carry than he did last time, it would be hard to see him lose.

Meeriss, Mushaahed, and Noisy Silence pose the main challenge over the 1,950-metre distance that has drawn a maximum field of 16.

Meeriss finished ahead of Mushaahed in the Jebel Ali Stakes Prep won by Fathayar four weeks ago, but Mushaahed was seen doing his best work towards the end, and may have benefitted from that first run of the season.

The Erwan Charpy trained seven-year-old by In The Wings is the choice of Richard Hills, the retained jockey of the owner Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, who has three runners.

Dhruba Selvaratnam’s stables is in superb form with the Jebel Ali trainer raking up a treble in the last meeting on his own backyard and picking up the solitary prize for the thoroughbreds in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. And as such, Meeriss’ chances must be respected.

However, the biggest challenge to Lucky Ray appears to be Tony Manuel’s hat trick seeking Noisy Silence. This progressive son of Giant’s Causeway is stepping up in class but with his convincing victories over the course should see him go close.

Abdulla bin Huzaim’s local debutant Lamh Al Basser (in the Twinkling) can set the ball rolling under the Argentine Jesus Rosales. The former Godolphin inmate comes with a decent campaign in the UK and looks the pick in the conditions race over 1,400m that has drawn a maximum field of 12.

Tasteyville with Hills on top of another Shaikh Hamdan entry head the field of 16 in the Jebel Ali Mile Prep half-an-hour later .

The seven-year-old well-bred son of With Approval failed to win a race from five starts on his arrival from the US for the Dubai Carnival last season.

He did run a fine race in his last start at Jebel Ali when going down by a head to Blue Sky Basin in a handicap rated 85-100 over 1,400m, and the connections may hope for a similar run on his reappearance in more than 10 months can take him close in today’s race.

Hills also partners Shaikh Hamdan runner Mutanseb in the fourth race. The son of Mr Greely produced fine burst of speed when easily accounting for Bur Dubai over the course and distance early last month. Liwa under Wayne Smith looks the danger.

The Watson-Patrick Dobbs partnership for the owner Malih Al Basti can strike with the consistent Lord Ego in the penultimate race.

And the progressive Impenetrable could reverse places against Rawalpindi in the concluding event, another handicap over the minimum distance.

Rawalbandie has been unplaced in all his four starts for the season but under the leading Irish jockey Kieren Fallon, the chestnut son of Regal Classic is expected to run a big race.

The trainer Rashed Bouresly felt Rawalbandie didn’t handle the heavy ground in Sharjah last time, saying: “He has always run well at Jebel Ali. He didn’t find the underfoot conditions to his favour in Sharjah. His previous two outings should be forgotten and he will be a different horse under Keiren’s services.”