The Meydan Punt: Nick Driver with two to follow on Thursday

BANKER

Pocket Dynamo (3.05 Meydan)

Salem Bin Ghadayer has eight entries on the first day of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and Pocket Dynamo potentially holds the best chance. While he hasn't won since May 2018, he is reunited with Mikael Barzalona who has won twice on the selection previously. This is probably his easiest task since those wins, as he's been campaigned at a much higher level and is now entering handicap company for the first time off what looks like a winnable mark of 103. Of his main dangers, Riflescope hasn't run over five furlongs since 2018, Caspian Prince is now eleven and hasn't won since 2018 either so A Momentofmadness may be the main danger however the selection should be good enough to win from his current mark.

GOOD THING

Mountain Hunter (5.25 Meydan)

A sea of Godolphin blue descends upon the last race of the day with five entries but familiar face Mountain Hunter should be good enough to come out on top. A regular at the carnival with two wins off 102 and 105 including one over the distance he should be very familiar to proceedings and once again has the guidance of Christophe Soumillon. He looks the number one pick of the home team and should run a big race following up on his listed success at Newmarket. Pablo Escobarr is the obvious danger and could well end up being better than the selection in the long run but this is Godolphin territory and they usually clean up in these middle distance turf races, especially early on in the carnival.

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