The 1600m affair goes as the evening's third of six races and has a post time of 7:40 p.m
Three weeks ago, Mouheeb valiantly battled leading local sophomore Rebel's Romance to a short head in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over this one-mile layout. On the merits of such, he is the co-favourite in this, despite his 95 official rating landing nine pounds short of Charlie Appleby-conditioned Naval Crown.
A well-bred sort for these conditions, the son of Flatter is a brother to Swale (G3) winner and dual G1-placed Favorable Outcome. He commenced his career with a one-sided win up the Jebel Ali hill over a straight six furlongs before closing resolutely in his aforementioned runner-up effort on Jan. 14.
"Mouheeb has trained well," Bachalard said. "He had a tough race last time, but I think he's bounced out of it very well. It's going to be a tactical race with a small field, which is not ideal, but I think he will run well. He finished up his race well last time over this distance, so maybe if he runs well, we will consider the UAE Derby going forward. On pedigree, it looks like he's a miler, but sometimes it just depends on the competition."
Naval Crown has more seasoning, with five starts in 2020, and is a son of UAE's top sire of winners, Dubawi, who has already sired Saudi Derby-bound Rebel's Romance and the winner of last weeks' UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed), Soft Whisper. An impressive winner at Yorkshire Ebor at third asking and a respectable third to Chindit in July as a maiden, he exits a pair of thirds in G3 company in France. His placing in the Prix la Rochette (G3) was especially flattering, as runner-up Sealiway went on to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) and both he and the winner, Go Athletico, subsequently contested the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1)
"Naval Crown is a solid little horse," Appleby said. "We toyed with the idea of sticking to the turf, but his homework on our dirt (at Marmoom Stables) is very good. The question mark would obviously be the trip—it will be his maximum, this mile, but what he brings is a certain level of class off the European form and race experience. As a rule, he shows good gate speed, so he does tick a few boxes going into it. The question marks are the (Meydan) dirt and that trip, but there's only one Guineas out there and we'll have a crack at it."
Appleby also gave an update on the barn's leading dirt sophomore: "Rebel's Romance is in good form and obviously the plan is for him to head to Saudi for the Derby on the 20th. He's done well since his run and we're looking forward to taking him over there."
The remaining quartet in the Guineas is topped by one-sided maiden victor Meshakel, who is owned and trained by UAE's leading conditioner Salem bin Ghadayer and cost $640,654 at auction. The Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained pair of Zhou Storm and Grand Dubai—who have three local wins between them—must be respected in here, as well, while trainer Doug Watson starts good-looking Tapiture maiden Uncle Hamed, who has a pair of seconds from three starts and should appreciate the up in trip.
Zhou Storm sparked the imagination with a pair of smart victories over the Meydan surface, but failed to match strides when third in the Trial by seven lengths. Grand Dubai, who races for his trainer, wheels back on one week's rest after finishing 10th in the Al Bastakiya Trial over 9.5 furlongs. He owns a victory over this course and distance three starts back on Dec. 17. Adrie de Vries rides Grand Dubai, while Maxime Guyon, who recently brought his tack to Dubai for the remainder of the winter, rides Elbashir Salem Elhrari's Zhou Storm.
Al Rayhi said, courtesy of a translator: "They're doing very well. Grand Dubai is in good form. Zhou is doing well and won his two starts, but last time there was a strong pace in the beginning and he didn't finish. This distance will suit him, hopefully, and with a smaller field, which should help him to get his position and then kick like he did (in his wins). We tried to get Maxime to ride for us a couple years ago for the season, but it didn't happen, so when Connor decided to go back (to the UK) because of the lockdown situation, it seemed a good opportunity to give Maxime some rides, since he's here now.
"Grand Dubai has come out of his run last week very well and has shown he is happy," Al Rayhi continued. "Coming off a race, we're coming in very easy this week, but he has not shown that he is tired. I think he will run well."
Watson is confident that Abdul Mohsen Al Abdul Kareem's Uncle Hamed will improve over a course more similar to the oval he trains on at home. All three of his starts have come up the hill at Jebel Ali over a straight sprint.
"We're giving him the visor for the first time and I know there's speed in the race," Watson said. "It's also a nice, small field and I think he wants this trip. I like our horse to run a big race if he likes Meydan and I think he will. We gelded him just before his last race and (jockey) Pat Dobbs said he's been a different horse since then. He's a neat little horse and I would love to see him run a big race in the Guineas."
Rivals Kimbear, Secret Ambition Meet Matterhorn In G3 Firebreak
Old rivals Secret Ambition and Kimbear spark anew their competitive relationship this Thursday in the Group 3 $130,000 Firebreak Stakes at Meydan Racecourse. Rated 109 and 108, respectively, the pair have faced off seven times, dating back to the 2018 Burj Nahaar (G3) when RRR Racing's (HH Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi) Kimbear defeated Nasir Askar's runner-up Secret Ambition. In four of their seven meetings, they have finished adjacent on the results chart, including three one-two finishes. All in all, Kimbear has a 4-3 lead on his friendly foe.
"He's a nice horse and has always been great to train," trainer Doug Watson said of Kimbear. "He drew the rail and we are putting the visor on him for the first time, so we'll likely go forward with him. He doesn't need the lead, but having the visor and the one-hole definitely gives away that we have to be up there. He needed that last race and that should have set him up for this. I'd like to think he will run well if all goes to plan and I hope he runs a good race."
Overall, Kimbear has a record of 24-4-7-4 and has not won since the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 13 months ago—a race in which he defeated Secret Ambition and North America by a pair of noses. He exits his first race in 10.5 months when an uninspired eighth of 11 in a defence attempt. Pat Dobbs will be aboard, as he has been in all 14 of his UAE starts.
Satish Seemar-trained Secret Ambition enters off a respectable second in the Jebel Ali Mile (G3) as the market favourite and wheels back on just 13 days. He must shake off his 'seconditis' to win on Thursday, as he has finished thus in four of his past five tries. Overall, the 8-year-old son of Exceed and Excel seeks his 10th victory in what will be his 40th start and breaks from the outside post in the sextet with leading rider Tadhg O'Shea.
"Secret Ambition is in good form," said Bhupat Seemar, assistant trainer. "Hopefully he's recovered well from the Jebel Ali Mile. He doesn't have the best of draws in six out of six, but he was second in this last year (to Capezzano) and Secret Ambition never runs a bad race. With a bit of luck, he should win or be right there."
Capezzano's trainer Salem bin Ghadayer starts Matterhorn, unraced since romping in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 in March. The son of Raven's Pass has won nine of 22 and was third in this last year. Mickael Barzalona has the mount once again, with their only partnering being his last-out career-best performance. He leads the ratings at 113.
Multiple G3 winner Trancaferro (rated 106) will hope to continue the top form of Uruguayan trainer Antonio Cintra, who won last week's Al Bastakiya Trial with El Patriota. A stakes winner from 1800m to 2400m, Trancaferro will be traversing a trip below his optimal under Bernardo Pinheiro.
Hypothetical (97) has a great deal to find on ratings for the same Fazza Racing team as Matterhorn and exits a disappointing fourth in the Jebel Ali Mile. Oasis Charm (100) makes his dirt debut and appears to be using the race as a fitness builder for a turf return.
Equipment Change For Ekhtiyaar In Listed Dubai Sprint
When HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Ekhtiyaar—one of the region's top turf sprinters—makes his second start of the 2021 DWC Carnival, he will do so with a new look. The 110-rated highweight in the $88,000 Dubai Sprint (Listed) will wear blinkers when he attempts to improve upon his fourth as the favourite in this last year. Two weeks ago, in his first run in more than 10 months, he was a gaining fourth in the five-furlong Dubai Dash (Listed) astern Equilateral.
"We're giving the blinkers a shot on Ekhtiyaar," said trainer Doug Watson. "Jim (Crowley) thinks they might help and it's a good time to try. He loses a little interest in the middle of his races. He's carrying top weight (62kgs) and giving away a lot of weight, so after this he runs at equal weights on Super Saturday and hopefully on (Dubai) World Cup night.
"We will give him the benefit of the doubt," Watson continued. "I haven't seen him run a bad race for us—even when we tried dirt with him, it wasn't that bad, considering. Hopefully he does well and we can go on to the bigger races."
Next on the five-time winning son of Bated Breath's agenda is the Group 3 $228,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday, March 6, a race he was second in last year to standard-smashing Wildman Jack. That would naturally be followed by the Group 1 $1 million Al Quoz Sprint, a race in which the 7-year-old gelding was ninth in 2019 to Blue Point. All three races are 1200m (six furlongs).
Canvassed Cuts Back
Watson kicks off Thursday's Carnival card in another sprint in which his pupils appear live, the six-furlong $68,000 Mina Rashid Handicap on dirt. He starts a trio, led by HH Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Canvassed, who wheels back on 13 days and drops back in trip after finishing third in the Jebel Ali Mile (G3).
"He came out of it well and there aren't many options for him," Watson said. "This is an opportunity to see if he could run well over a dirt sprint at Meydan and while it's not ideal to run back in two weeks, I think he'll run a big race."
Watson also starts Hamid Radan's flying filly Rio Angie, who hopes to improve upon her poor showing two weeks ago over seven furlongs, as well as Al Rashid Stables' Verboten, who makes his debut for said connections, having previously been with Godolphin.
"Rio Angie is better than that, but she's got to get out and get the rail, which I think she can do from the four post. If she can get clear, she's fast enough to be tough."
Thegreatcollection To Test Stamina
Whether it has been a simple matter of maturity or teaming up with Pat Cosgrave, Thegreatcollection has brought his game to an elevated platform this season for owner Zaur Sekrekov and trainer Doug Watson. The 7-year-old dark bay son of Saint Anddan has improved with each of his three starts—all at 1600m—finishing second by a nose on Nov. 19, followed by a victory in the Dubai Creek Mile (Listed) on Dec. 17 over multiple Group winners and a game second in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 on Jan. 21.
Next out, he will likely elevate in trip to 1900m in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2.
"He has been finishing his races really well and I was really impressed by the way he's been performing, especially the other day in Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge," Watson said. "I don't think—watching his races—that stamina will be too much of a problem and I think this is a great opportunity to see if he can step up."
Thegreatcollection is now rated 110 and has won seven of 26 starts and finished top two in half his tries.
"He's been an awesome horse to train and if it works out, great, "Watson concluded. "If it doesn't, we know he's good enough to be competitive in the Godolphin Mile after this."
