All eyes will be on Meydan on Saturday as the best horses on the planet
head to the UAE to battle it out in the world's richest race meeting, the 2011
Dubai World Cup.
Get your free £100 bet on the 2011 Dubai World Cup when you sign up with Paddy Power through Bettingpro today.
With thirteen countries set to be represented in seven different races,
punters are faced with a daunting task as they look to unravel form from all
over the world.
Last year's meeting threw up a whole host of surprises and big priced
winners and there is sure to be plenty of excitement and exhilarating finishes
on Saturday's fascinating card under the lights at Meydan.
Watch all the racing from Meydan live streaming online for free when you register with
Bwin now. The firm are also giving all new customers a free £10 no-lose bet on the Dubai World Cup.
13:15 - Al Quoz Sprint (Group 2) (Turf) 5f
This year’s Al Quoz Sprint revolves around world class international
speedster J J THE JET PLANE and there is sure to be plenty of
disappointed punters if the second best sprinter on the planet doesn’t rise to
the task.
Second only to the mighty Black Caviar in the sprinting world rankings, J J
The Jet Plane has tasted Group One success all over the world, including when
beating Singapore favourite Rocket Man in the Hong Kong Sprint last year.
Last seen destroying a decent field over course and distance when giving
lumps of weight away, the selection put a bad run on Tapeta behind him and
opened his account at this year’s Carnival with minimum fuss.
The superstar will not mind dropping down to five furlongs and it would be
a surprise if he wasn’t up to beating his rivals here.
War Artist and Prohibit are capable of taking a hand in the finish and it
would be foolish to underestimate the chances of Starspangledbanner-conqueror
Sole Power who has been aimed at this race since his 100/1 shock in the
Nunthorpe Stakes last season.
Nick Wilby’s selection – J J The Jet Plane (2/1, Paddy Power)
13.50 - Godolphin Mile (Group 2) (AWT) 1m1f
The Godolphin Mile will be a race that British punters will be approaching
with some confidence and Red Jazz and PREMIO LOCO are the highest rated
runners in the field.
The former has some high class form to his name and a ½ length third to
Poet’s Voice in the QEII at Ascot would be enough to win this race, especially
with trainer Barry Hills being particularly forward with his horses at this time
of the year.
However Premio Loco is afforded another chance after his below-par
performance at last year’s Carnival and the admirable miler could improve on an
already impressive strike rate on the all-weather.
Last seen finishing down the field on softer than ideal ground at
Newmarket, the selection had previously won the Criterion Stakes and Summer Mile
before chasing home the awesome Canford Cliffs and Aidan O’Brien’s Rip Van
Winkle in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
In the hope that Premio Loco can show his best form on a surface that he
has not yet proven he enjoys, he is the selection, although the Godolphin duo of
Skysurfers and Rileyskeepingfaith are not dismissed lightly.
14.25 - UAE Derby (Group 2) (AWT) 1m1f 110yds
A wide open looking renewal of the UAE Derby this year and no horse has
really stepped forward to dominate this season’s division. Khawlah is the
favourite for the race after beating Mike De Kock’s highly regarded Mahbooba in
the UAE Oaks and the Godolphin inmate looks like she could be a classy filly
this season, although Frankie Dettori appears to have jumped off her to ride
South American Carnival debutant Xin Xu Lin.
With this year’s classics being dominated by the fillies, it is best to
overlook any of the colts that have been plying their trade in the UAE and turn
to the British raiders.
John Gosden’s Utley is clearly well regarded by his legendary trainer and
could be involved if he can shake off his poor draw and Aidan O’Brien’s
MASTER OF HOUNDS and Alexander Pope are also well respected on their
Carnival debuts.
Master Of Hounds has form tying him in with the likes of leading Classic
hopes Casamento and Dunboyne Express and with the step up in trip and decent
ground sure to suit, he could make his double-figure odds look incredibly
generous.
Nick Wilby’s selection – Master Of Hounds (12/1, Stan James)
15.05 - Dubai Golden Shaheen Stakes (Group 1) (AWT) 6f
The Golden Shaheen is sure to be explosive and frenetic and Singapore
sprinting sensation ROCKET MAN can make amends for his unlucky defeat at
the hands of the re-opposing Kinsale King in last year’s race.
Patrick Shaw’s consistent gelding couldn’t get a clear run at a vital time
one year ago but with a bit more luck Rocket Man could turn the tables on the
American raider. Aside from being the highest rated horse in the field, the
selection arrives at Meydan on the back of a fine prep run and with form tying
in with the likes of J J The Jet Plane and Sacred Kingdom he could take some
pegging back at the business end of proceedings.
Kinsale King is obviously afforded maximum respect and Euroears is not
taken lightly, but Rocket Man is the best horse in the race and can right the
wrongs of last year’s running.
Nick Wilby’s selection – Rocket Man (6/4, Betfred)
15.45 - Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Group 1) (Turf) 1m1f
An absolutely enthralling renewal of the Dubai Duty Free Stakes sees
sixteen of the best horses in the world clash in what looks set to be an
absolute thriller.
There will be plenty of British punters hoping that either WIGMORE
HALL or Presvis can bring the prize back home with them and if the former
can build on his success in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan three weeks ago, there
doesn’t seem any reason why Michael Bell’s progressive gelding can’t get off the
mark in Group One company.
The John Smith’s Cup winner will appreciate the step up in distance and is
known to be at his best when tackling a big field from the back of the pack.
Jamie Spencer will be hoping for a strongly run race and will surely be
confident that the Secretariat Stakes runner-up can continue to progress on his
travels.
Luca Cumani’s Presvis remains the one to beat, but his tendency to run a
shocker as often as he does a great race is seriously off putting and he always
needs the gaps to open at the right times.
Herman Brown’s Bankable is a seriously classy individual who will be
looking to go one better than his second in this race last year, while
Singapore’s Better Than Ever is a fascinating contender after recording fourteen
out of fifteen victories on the bounce back at home.
Nick Wilby’s selection – Wigmore Hall (11/2, Paddy Power)
16.50 - Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1) (Turf) 1m4f
Godolphin’s Rewilding has been off the track since his disappointing
performance in the St Leger at Doncaster last September, but it isn’t hard to
see why the superstar is favourite for this year’s Sheema Classic.
The huge impression the four-year-old made in the Great Voltigeur at last
year’s Ebor meeting lives long in the memory and the way he cruised past the
likes of Midas Touch and Joshua Tree was seriously impressive.
However, he is a very skinny price and the value looks to lie with Barry
Hills’ talented globetrotter REDWOOD.
The selection was last seen chasing home Mastery in the Hong Kong Vase and
had previously tasted success in the Grade One Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at
the end of a season that saw the five-year-old begin to fulfil some of his
undoubted potential.
Hills is reportedly delighted with the progress Redwood has made this year
and he can be expected to improve a couple of pounds as long as there is a
decent pace to chase.
Brian Meehan’s Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Dangerous Midge will be looking for
more success at the highest level, while Japanese raider Rulership could be a
danger to all under the hands of Christophe Soumillon.
Nick Wilby’s selection – Redwood (nb) (9/1, Boylesports)
17.35 - Dubai World Cup (Group 1) (AWT) – 1m2f
This year’s Dubai World Cup looks one of the best renewals of the race for
some time and there should be no hard luck stories if Japanese raider Transcend
blasts out from the gates as expected.
Last year’s race left punters scratching their heads after a number of
Group One winning horses fluffed their lines in a falsely run race and this
year’s market leader Twice Over will be looking to prove that his poor
performance in the 2010 Dubai World Cup was all wrong.
Henry Cecil’s superstar has since become one of the best middle-distance
performers in Europe and the dual Champion Stakes hero returns to Meydan on the
back of a scintillating performance in the third leg of the Maktoum Challenge
earlier this month.
There is no doubt that he will be a tough nut to crack, even from his far
from ideal draw.
Equally, Mike De Kock’s Golden Sword and American sensation Gio Ponti will
have plenty of punters convinced that they can win the world’s richest race, but
the value looks to lie with multiple Group One-winning Japanese wondermare
BUENA VISTA.
The selection was just touched off in last year’s Sheema Classic after a
far from impressive ride behind John Gosden’s Dar Re Mi, but she returns to
Meydan a better horse and she looks wildly overpriced at 10/1.
Yet to finish out of the first three in her incredible career, she was
robbed of a victory in the Japan Cup after a highly debatable stewards enquiry
(she was first past the post) and she was narrowly denied by the re-opposing
Victoire Pisa last time out.
She should reverse the form with that rival this time and become the
highest earning horse in training. Her draw is a slightly worrying, but she is
a hold-up performer and she will be in the right hands with jockey Ryan Moore in
the saddle.
Gitano Hernando and Musir are respected, while Aidan O’Brien’s Cape Blanco
will be virtually unbeatable if he can put up the same sort of performance that
saw him hammer an awesome looking Irish Champion Stakes field (Twice Over
included) last season.
Nick Wilby’s selection – Buena Vista (NAP) (10/1, Ladbrokes). Already advised ante post - Gitano Hernando, 12/1.
