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Stage set for Jebel Ali race

The feature race of Friday’s all-thoroughbred six-race card curtain raiser of the season at Jebel Ali racecourse is likely to be a re-match between Bounty Quest and Firestreak.

The 1000m dash handicap has attracted nine sprinters going to post under the starter’s orders in the Derrinstown stud-sponsored race which drew a total purse of Dh85,000 in prize-money.

Despite the potential excitement of the clash, trainer Musabah Al Muhairi who trains Firestreak did not like the idea that it’s going to be a two-horse race. “It’s a wide open contest and plenty of horses are in with a chance to strike,” said the Oasis-1 Stables trainer and ex-police officer Musabah Al Muhairi.

The Doug Watson-trained Bounty Quest did the better work when the son of Fesliyev came from nowhere under Patrick Dobbs to pip the mount of Wayne Smith Firestreak by a nose on the finish line.

“Wayne did nothing wrong. The horse jumped very quickly from the machine and was always going well before he hit the front in the final furlong. Unfortunately, the stamina did not side him close home,” he said.

“Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Impenetrable and Power Politics, a few to mention, cannot be ruled out of the chase for the trophy,” he clarified.

Speaking about the chances of Firestreak to reverse places with his previous conqueror, Al Muhairi said they have to wait and find out.

“This is the first race of the season, and nobody could safely predict who would cross the finish line in the first place. Hopefully, Firestreak would go one better and make the best of the drop in distance and weight,” he said.

The afternoon kicks start with the 1600m opening race up the hill which attracted a big field of ten runners going to post.

The Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained Kessra, P. Cosgrave up, looks good to put his head first at the busy end.

The stamina will side the four-year-old gelded son of Kheleyef and the extended trip would suit him better.

Kessraa finished more than five lengths behind Satwa Street over a shorter distance at the same course on UAE debut and third to Effort over 1200m on seasonal reappearance under William Buick.

The immediate danger would be posed by the mount of William Supple Florensky. The Erwan Charpy-trained three-year-old gelding by the former champion Sinndar disappointed on UAE debut when finished poor fifth behind Five Cents in a Condition race in Abu Dhabi, but he may show the best of him in this company.

UAE debutant Zemario may making a winning start for trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam in the hands and heels of the top Irish jockey William Supple.

Having won a maiden event under Neil Callan over 2000m when trained by M A Jarvis at Windsor Racecourse in August 2009, the Dalakhani horse was not seen in the track since then and this might be the only set back to his chances in today’s test.

Boss Professor will be difficult to beat in the only maiden race of the afternoon, the 1400m fifth race on the card. Formerly trained by the leading South African Mike de Kock, the Orpen-colt finished second twice in three starts on varying distances at the same course and the 1400m trip would be the most ideal for him to travel.

Mysterious Moon, Wayne Smith in the saddle, is the best of the rest.

The sixth and final race, a 1400m handicap has attracted a strong field of ten runners lining up for honours.

Top weight Rochefort, Richard Mullen in the saddle, may win from the mount of D. Morrison Canwinn, the presumably public favourite.

KT Selections: 1- Kessra/ Florensky 2- Hunter’s Glen/ Zemario 3- Impenetrable/ Firestreak 4- Yathreb/ Dahes 5- Boss Professor/ Skycruiser 6- Mutanaseb/ Rocheort.

Day’s best: Impenetrable