Best bets for the horse racing at Meydan Friday 17th February – The Dubai Carnival
Best bets for the horse racing at Meydan
The first race of interest to me is the mile Lord Glitters Handicap at 3.45 on the Turf. I have tipped New Kingdom a few times and I am going to again on Friday. The son of Dubawi has never made it to the pattern performer I thought he might but he is a very good handicapper and following a good effort when third here in January, form looks solid, he is fancied for this. It looks to me like there are no likely rivals for the early lead and as such he should lead every yard of this and I expect to see William Buick gush him out of stall five. I am on at rouf, 4-1.
The choice of William Buick Siskany looks the one to beat in the $200,000 Group Three Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 1m6f on the Turf track at 4.20. The five-year-old is the solid option on a track he has won on before and he rarely runs a bad race. He goes well fresh so the short break since he was last seen when third in Listed company at Kempton under a penalty is of little concern. I have the ear'ole 6-4. Charlie Appleby said this week “Siskany looks great and will be a player if he brings his best form to the table. He has won over the course and trip, so he looks the one they have to beat." The trainer added “Kemari will also be competitive if he can rekindle some of his old form."
As for the rest of the card, the Group Three UAE Oaks looks to be between Mimi Kakushi and Ami Please but is a 'flip of a coin' with me so I have left it alone. Grade One winner Nations Pride faces 11 rivals in the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 1m2f on the Turf track at 4.55. He will be odds-on and should win but hasn't been seen since the Breeders Cup. I noted Charlie Appleby saying on the Dubai Racing website
“Nations Pride has been pleasing us at home and coming back to a mile and a quarter should suit. There will be some improvement to come for whatever he does on his seasonal return, as we hope that he has another international campaign ahead of him this year. Depending on how he goes here, we will consider potentially looking at the Jebel Hatta or the Dubai Turf.”
As for racing here in the UK. I tipped Spring Promise a couple of weeks ago when second to stablemate Veil Of Shadows at Kempton over a mile, she has two little ducks next to her name now. She runs in the 7f talkSPORT Powered By Fans Fillies' Novice Stakes at Lingfield due off at 2.50 but is odds-on and unbackable for me at the price and Spencer is onboard which also concerns me.
Be lucky