UAE debut for Cannon

DUBAI - Bronze Cannon will make his UAE debut under Ted Durcan for South African trainer Herman Brown in the 1,600m The Meydan Hotel Conditions — the penultimate event on the six-race-card at the Meydan Racecourse on Thursday evening.

By Hisham Al Gizouli

Published: Fri 31 Dec 2010, 12:13 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 5:21 AM

Brown, just like compatriot trainer Mike de Kock, has two runners scheduled to make the trip in total.

He also saddles top-weight Kikhail Glinka, with Harry Bentley onboard, while De Kock sends out MR Crazy Boy and Wonder Lawn, whom will be partnered by Patrick Cosgrave and Kevin Shea respectively.

This season’s course and distance winners Derbaas and Inestimable, along with 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival winner Barbecue Eddie and stable companion Clasp, are others to consider.

Brown will also unveil the highly rated Argentinean, three-year-old Paulinho, in the opening event, the 1400m Meydan City Corporation Conditions Stakes.

While the Group-3 UAE 2000 Guineas is six weeks away, Brown believes the experience of a first look at Meydan under race conditions, under lights on the Tapeta surface, will be invaluable to the colt as he progresses on a Classic campaign.

The trainer said: “We will find out just how fit our horses are as we have yet to have a runner this year. They seem well and we are happy with them at home but we need to get a run into a few.”

This season’s course and distance winners Derbaas and Inestimable, along with 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival winner Barbecue Eddie and stable companion Clasp, are other strong contenders in the fray.

The Meydan Sky Bubble, run over 1600m, sees the maximum go to post and the Satish Seemar-handled Fieriness heads the weights. However, Chicago May and Energia Central should not be discounted having both run in the money on their last two attempts at Meydan — one of which took place last month and saw Chicago May just a three-quarter length better off in third.

Champion Trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe is triple handed in the Meydan Freezone, a 1200m dash, although Dhruba Selvaratnam’s My Verse could prove to be the main danger having already gained a couple of wins under his belt so far this season.

The final race of the evening, the 1200m Meydan Golf Course, sees Stephane Chevalier’s Lando Junior go against 13 others, fresh from his win at Meydan earlier this month.

The Group-2 1600m Mazrat Al Ruwayah for Purebred Arabians is also a highlight. Fourteen have been declared for the feature including this year’s Group 1 National Day Cup winner Dynamite for rookie trainer Adam Aghbash. Dynamite, who will turn ten on Saturday, will have a new jockey with Richard Mullen taking the ride.

Mullen said: “His class is undoubted and is a great spare ride. He has performed on a similar surface in the UK but his Group 1 penalty makes his task harder in a good contest.”

Doug Watson saddles both Kandar Du Falgas and Paris Gagner, who both have genuine Group-1 form to their name and get weight from Dynamite. Willie Supple partners Paris Gagner with Pat Dobbs on his stable companion and Watson said: “On ratings there is very little between them and it would be hard to split them on what they do at home. ‘Kandar’ was just in front of ‘Paris’ in the middle leg of the Al Maktoum Challenge last season but that was over further. Both should run well.”

KT Selections: 1. Paulinho/ Prime Preacher 2. Kandar Du Falgas/ Paris Gagner 3. West Emirates/ Sarbola 4. Emirates Sports/ My Verse 5. Bronze Cannon/ Dernaas 6. Lando Junior/ Shemoli