Jebel Ali Racecourse marks landmark year with showcase of top-class racing

Jebel Ali Racecourse stages the penultimate meeting of 2025 this Saturday, and it typically comes with a strong sense of anticipation.

A seven-race card is topped by two valuable handicaps, both worth AED 120,000, and both offering competitive, open fields that should tell us plenty about which horses and stables are finishing the year strongest.

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The first major highlight arrives in Race 3, the Glorious Saturday Stakes, a 75–100 handicap run over seven furlongs on the famous Jebel Ali dirt track, which boasts a unique makeup that makes it special in the world of horse racing.

Unlike many modern dirt surfaces that rely heavily on synthetic materials or imported mixes, Jebel Ali’s racing surface is a traditional blend of sand and oil. The track surface is built from local desert sand that’s mixed with recycled engine oil sourced from shipyards in the region.

Wide-open feature test

With 12 runners declared, the Glorious Saturday Stakes looks one of the most competitive races of the day and is a true test of form, fitness, and adaptability at this stage of the campaign.

Much of the attention surrounds Telemark, who made a strong impression when winning on his UAE debut at Meydan three weeks ago in the Ford Handicap.

That victory came after a tough, consistent career in Britain, where the four-year-old by Night Of Thunder raced 18 times and picked up four wins. Owned by Rabbah Bloodstock and trained by the father-and-son team of Simon and Ed Crisford, Telemark has clearly settled quickly into Dubai racing and now bids to follow up under similar conditions.

KT’s Top Picks

• Race 1: Alnayer, Yaa’boob

• Race 2: Casino Bay, La Yetal

• Race 3: Telemark, The Ice Phoenix

• Race 4: Omaha Front, Basheer

• Race 5: Mashkoor, Ocean Viking

• Race 6: Exculpation, Yuvraaj

• Race 7: Mawhoob, Frostfire

• Day’s Best: Casino Bay

However, this will not be a straightforward task. The depth of opposition gives the race a very open feel, and several runners arrive at Jebel Ali with legitimate claims to victory. Doug Watson, always a major force in local handicaps, saddles both Cats By Five and Nyaar, two horses who are well suited to Jebel Ali’s long straight and are honest campaigners. Either could capitalise if the tempo or the running of the race falls their way.

Another key player is The Ice Phoenix, who represents reigning UAE champion trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. Formerly trained in Europe, the four-year-old has had three runs since switching yards and appears to be finding his feet.

Steady progress inspires confidence

“I am very pleased with how the horse has adapted to his new surroundings at our stables and continues to progress with each outing,” said Al Mheiri. “That steady improvement that the trainer highlights makes him an interesting contender in a race where small margins could decide the outcome.

International betting markets reflect just how competitive the contest looks, with Telemark installed as favourite at 6/5, followed closely by Cats By Five at 4/1, The Ice Phoenix at 9/2, and Nyaar at 11/2.

Beyond the individual result, the Glorious Saturday Stakes matters because it comes at a key point in the season. With only one more meeting to follow at Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club on Sunday, strong performances here can define late-season momentum. For trainers and owners, it is also a valuable opportunity to secure a prestigious payday before 2025 turns to 2026.

Later on the card, Race 5, the New Year Fest Stakes over 1800 metres, offers a different but equally intriguing puzzle. This race has drawn a compact field of just six middle-distance runners, led by Ocean Viking, who makes his UAE debut for the Crisford team.

French-raced talent arrives

Previously trained in France by the legendary André Fabre, who has been crowned champion trainer in France an extraordinary 32 times in his career, the son of Farhh is another Rabbah Bloodstock runner and will be ridden by Brazilian star Silvestre de Sousa, adding further interest to his first local appearance.

Farhh was nothing short of a superstar for Godolphin handler Saeed by Suroor, winning the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and the Champion Stakes at Ascot in a landmark 2013.

Standing in his way are familiar names, headed by Doug Watson’s Truth Explained, currently trading as the early international favourite, along with Mashkoor, a recent winner at Jebel Ali for trainer Marwan Al Baidhaei, and his stablemate Aablan. With fewer runners and proven form over the distance, tactics and race rhythm could prove decisive.

The afternoon opens, as tradition dictates, with a Purebred Arabian contest, a long-standing feature of racing at Jebel Ali racecourse that reflects the track’s ethnic heritage and identity.

Taken as a whole, Saturday’s meeting blends established performers with developing stories. With two wide-open feature races and the racing year nearing its close, Jebel Ali promises an afternoon where small details may make the biggest difference.