Former Hills-trained Musawaat out to improve dirt debut second

2.20 Meydan
DP World, UAE Region (Handicap) | Turf | 3yo

While there are doubts about the all-weather action in Britain on Saturday, there are no such worries over Meydan, where an eight-race card is highlighted by an ultra competitive turf handicap over a mile.

With the rail out, a maximum field of 14 will face the starter, with just six trainers represented including Fawzi Nass.

He saddles Musawaat who, despite missing the break on his local and dirt debut in a 7f handicap last Thursday, was beaten just a head by the consistent Secret Ambition.

That was his first outing since being sold out of Charlie Hills’ Lambourn yard at Tattersalls for 45,000gns at the beginning of November.

Adrie de Vries, in the saddle last week, is aboard again and said: “That was a very good run and suggested the extra furlong would suit.

"It looks very competitive but he has some decent turf form in England so we have to be hopeful.”

Salem bin Ghadayer is enjoying an excellent season and is responsible for three of the runners, with Mickael Barzalona opting to ride Mailshot.

A course and distance winner under Barzalona three starts ago, he was most recently third in a 1m1f turf handicap at the Dubai World Cup Carnival – Saturday's fixture is a non-Carnival card.

From two Satish Seemar runners, Richard Mullen partners Pupil, with Tadhg O’Shea aboard Sharp Defence for Jimmy Long’s Thistle Bloodstock.

Champion trainer Doug Watson has five in the field, with Jim Crowley, riding for his boss Hamdan Al Maktoum, on the hat-trick seeking Ejaaby.

He has won over both six furlongs and seven furlongs, the latter on his most recent outing when defeating stablemate Pillar Of Society, again in opposition but deserted by Pat Dobbs, who elects to ride Stunned from the Watson quintet.

Former champion trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri has his first Meydan runners after serving a one-year suspension and fields Billingsgate and Muzdawaj in the feature.

The action begins with a three-year-old mile maiden on the dirt, in which Watson’s Big Brown Bear and Dobbs will be hoping to fulfil the promise shown when the colt was favourite for a similar race four weeks ago.

He is again drawn wide but still fancied to lay down claims as a potential contender for the UAE Derby, four weeks on Saturday.

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