Best bets for the horse racing from Meydan the Dubai Carnival Super Saturday

My mind has been pretty preoccupied with the Cheltenham Festival this week, hence the lack of betting activity, though truth be told nothing much caught my eye this week; it has been pretty average horse racing. You can’t say that about Super Saturday at the Dubai Carnival over at Meydan mind you and we have an eight-race card packed with Pattern race action Saturday afternoon. I am very much concentrating on Meydan for the day.

There are some very short-priced ones on the card sadly with Charlie Appleby and William Buick looking to have a very strong hand; with a couple of rides Buick has for other yards on the day as well as for his boss, he could have a Super Saturday indeed! At the prices a number of the races are for watching rather than punting on but details of those you can back follow. I am on overnight as some of these will likely get shorter still. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Meydan, Super Saturday

They get underway at 12.05 our time with the Listed Mile Jumeirah 1000 Guineas Sponsored By Emirates Airline on the Turf track. Cinderella’s Dream puts her unbeaten record on the line in this. Having twice been successful in the UK last year, the daughter of Shamardal easily beat subsequent winner Beautiful Love in February’s Jumeirah Fillies’ Classic here over 7f last month. Open to improvement yet she looks to have every chance to take this before what could be an interesting campaign in the UK this summer. Charlie Appleby told the Godolphin website this week “Cinderella’s Dream is in great order and stepping back up to a mile is going to suit. The form of her latest win has been franked by Beautiful Love and she looks the one to beat.” The Bookies certainly think she is the one to beat pricing her up at around 2-11 so she is unbackable. 

We switch to the dirt at 12.40 for the Group Three Burj Nahaar Sponsored By Emirates Airline. This looks like a competitive heat with sixteen due to line-up. Sound Money has been running over shorter, was beaten on his two starts over this trip in the States earlier in his career, and is a doubtful stayer for me. Hypothetical has won the G.3 Firebreak Stakes over track and trip twice, four C&D wins to his name, and has to be shortlisted but at seven won’t be getting better and may have to settle for placemoney here. Laurel River was turned over at odds-on, over an inadequate six you would think, but is best watched off the back of a poor effort. Swing Vote has gone from strength to strength since leaving Andre Fabre to join the Crisford stable and has won his last three starts, all on Dirt at Jebel Ali, culminating in the G.3 Jebel Ali Mile. He probably needs to improve again here but looks capable of doing so. Get on at 3-1

The speedsters are out at 1.15 for the 5f Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored By Emirates Airline on the Turf. Star Of Mystery looks to continue an unbeaten start to her three-year-old season in this. After scoring against her own generation in the 6f Al Wasl Stakes she looked very good when easily accounting for older opposition in the 5f G.2 Blue Point Sprint last time. She’s top-rated, in fine form, and gets the weight off all the others in the line-up. Stall eight is fine and she looks a good thing. I have 4-5. Charlie Appleby said in the build-up “Star Of Mystery has enjoyed a little break since the Blue Point Sprint and a repeat performance of that win will make her very competitive again. It’s a good field but we are very happy with her.”

We remain on the Turf course for the 1m4f Group Two Dubai City Of Gold Sponsored By Emirates Airline at 1.50. Another race that looks pretty competitive it jumped out at me that William Buick has chosen to ride Castle Way who hasn’t been seen since finishing second in the G.2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last August. If he is ready to roll on his seasonal debut he will be bang there you would think not that the Bookies are taking a chance pricing him up at a skinny-looking 10-11, but I am on. Charlie Appleby said: “Warren Point has won over a mile and a half in the past, so stepping back up in trip won’t be an issue. He should be bang there at the finish. Castle Way is probably the horse out of my three with the most scope to progress throughout the season. He ended his three-year-old campaign with a couple of strong efforts and is ready to get going again. Bold Act enjoyed travelling last year and put up a good performance to win at Keeneland in the autumn. He heads into this in good nick and I’m looking forward to seeing both him and Castle Way back on the racecourse.”

At 2.25 it’s the 1m1½f Group Two Al Maktoum Classic Sponsored By Emirates Airline on the Dirt. I think this is a tricky heat and can make a case for several so have decided to leave it alone.

It’s back to the turf track at 3.10 for the Group Three 7f Ras Al Khor Sponsored By Emirates Airline. Noble Dynasty has to be shortlisted off the back of his previous form but the lack of a run since November 2022 is slight a concern. That said I noted Charlie Appleby saying this week “Noble Dynasty runs well fresh and looks in great shape. He has a nice draw in stall four and should be involved in the finish.” It is a long absence but the six-year-old has looked capable of picking up a Group race in the past and this could be his time. I am on at 2-1.

The Group Three 6f Mahab Al Shimaal Sponsored By Emirates Airline on the Dirt track has ten going to post but is another race I think is best left alone with half the field in with chances.

The lucky last at 4.20 is the Listed 1m1f Jumeirah Classic Sponsored By Emirates Airline. On ratings, Legend Of Time has at least 6lb in hand on this field as he looks to continue his unbeaten run at the carnival having won the Jumeirah Guineas Trial and Jumeirah Guineas. After just four career starts the three-year-old son of Sea The Stars is likely to have more to show us yet but is basically unbackable at around 2-11. Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website “Legend Of Time has done well since the Jumeirah Guineas and this was always the target afterwards. He heads into the race in great shape.”

Be lucky