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Stage set for the big race

NEWBURY - The curtain raiser of the final day of the Dubai Summer Festival, an all Arabian race-card, will see nine horses going to post in the Emirates Airline Premier Handicap Stakes over seven furlongs (an 1400m) at Newbury Racecourse on Sunday.

Most probably, the punters will be highly divided about who’s going to put his head first at the busy end with plenty of horses in with a chance to strike. Maghazi and Syrah Gris, recent smart handicap winners Dargali, Flashcat, Wikkara and Pinkie Tuscadero are all in the line-up for the prestigious trophy. Miswadah, a third in this event last year (beaten by a head and a neck) will be hard to beat. But the only danger will come from near top weight Dargali who looked extremely impressive in disposing of Flashcat (Sakeena Sky Zayin well beaten in 4^th) at Huntingdon over distance.

The second race of the afternoon, The Meydan International Stakes is a fascinating addition to this race meeting. All eyes will be on Mu’Azzaz from the powerful Julian Smart yard and a winner back in 2008 over a shorter distance before he strikes again in Qatar last February over an extended distance. He also finished third in the Group 1 UK Derby and fourth in the Qatar Derby. Recently he raced a cracking race to finish third to Nashwan Al Khalidiah in a Gr-1 effort over 1600m at Newmarket. The Bill Smith-trained Genuinely At Risk who looks good to do the better work against Tidarbret, Mi Temps De Piboul was fourth over course and distance last year (G1 Hatta) and also won her maiden over this trip at Foss Las, she’s been in good form this term including beaten less than a length behind the smart Tidarbret over 8 furlongs at Wolverhampton.

Tidarbret won the Breeders Cup last year and has won twice this term from 8-10 furlongs at Huntingdon and Wolverhampton and wasn’t disgraced when 4^th to Nashwan in a Group 2 event last time out and deserves to take his chance.

Nokomeys looks good to land the The Emirates NBD Hatta International Stakes (Group 1 Mares only) over 1 Mile 2 Furlongs, third race on the card. Finished runner up in this event for the last two years he went on to win the President of the UAE Cup at The Curragh over a mile (beating subsequent Group 1 Coupe De Europe winner Raqiyah) and then going down by a neck to Adjinn D’Aroco over course and distance last month and will be hard to beat.

The Shaikh Hamdan’s smart recruit Adjinn D’Aroco may not face a strong opposition to win the Shadwell International Stakes Group-1, the fourth race on the card for champion trainer Gill Duffield. Last year Adjinn D’Aroco won the Prix Toustem before he ran 5^th in the Group 1 UK Derby. Trainer’s reports said the horse is back to his best when beating Nokomys and Al Janoob over course and distance last month and will be difficult to beat. Jaafer looked amazing when winning the Group 1 Kahayala Classic at Meydan in March and ran a superb race when second to Nashwan Al Khalidiah over a shorter distance in a Group 2 event at Newmarket last time out and should not be ruled out in today’s test.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com