Buick hopes he has made right choice picking 'very impressive' Man Of Promise

Saturday: 1.35 Meydan
Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (Group 1) (Turf) | 6f | 3yo+ | RTV/Sky

The Right Man is the sole horse in the last decade to have landed the Al Quoz Sprint from a draw lower than seven (stall three in 2017) and the main protagonists have drawn mid to high here.

Charlie Appleby has trained two of the last three winners and is responsible for the first two in the betting, Man Of Promise and Creative Force.

Man Of Promise, a specialist over Meydan's six furlongs, is a worthy favourite after his near five-length romp in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint from Prix de l'Abbaye hero A Case Of You last time.

Sent off a 50-1 shot in last season's Al Quoz Sprint, Man Of Promise has taken his form to a new level this year. A replication of his last-time-out RPR of 125 would have been good enough to plunder the last ten runnings.

Creative Force, along with French-trained pair Suesa and Air De Valse, bids to become the first horse since Ortensia in 2012 to score without the benefit of a prep run.

Defying that statistic will be demanding and perhaps it is worth turning to Happy Romance each-way at a double-figure price instead.

Tom Marquand put up 1lb overweight when Happy Romance almost lasted out over 7f at Riyadh in a strong Group 3 last month, and this drop back to 6f will suit.

Happy Romance has a neck to make up on the reopposing Casa Creed, although the US raider stays a mile and 6f probably isn’t his perfect distance.

She improved bundles for her first run in 2020 and 2021 and natural progress would makes her dangerous in receipt of 5lb from the boys.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Track experience and race-fitness made up Buick's mind

Man Of Promise laid down a huge marker for future Group 1 sprint glory when running away from a talented field here three weeks ago.

Chatting to journalists before he rode work aboard Godolphin's Japan-based UAE Derby candidate Combustion, William Buick admitted the choice to discard Champions Sprint hero Creative Force had not been easy, while trainer Charlie Appleby also fields Naval Crown.

Man Of Promise (William Buick) wins the Nad Al Sheba SprintCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We all saw Man Of Promise on Super Saturday and he was very impressive," said Buick. "He's done that twice this season now – he keeps backing it up and everyone is very happy with him at home. Creative Force is a Group 1 winner but I went with the horse who had the track experience and race-fitness."

McGuinness expects A Case Of You to take a step forward

Already a Group 1 winner from when pipping Air De Valse in the Prix de l'Abbaye, A Case Of You faced a difficult task when finishing second to Man Of Promise in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.

But Ado McGuinness is hopeful his four-year-old can bridge all or at least most of the four-and-three-quarter-length gap on Saturday.

"The horse has really settled in very well," said McGuinness after watching A Case Of You tick over at the Tapeta training track on Thursday. "He was here five days before he ran on Super Saturday, when you couldn’t fault his run. We hope he improves.

"I think he will improve a few pounds. I hope the Godolphin horse regresses a few pounds and then we might have a chance of beating him. We've a great draw [16] and we're very happy. Hopefully we can get closer or win it."

What they say

Yann Lerner, joint-trainer of Berneuil
He seems to have adapted well to the different climate here. I would like to have drawn a higher number, say between ten and 16. But the whole track is fast and it will be up to Christophe [Soumillon] to follow the right horses. His best form from last year entitles him to be in among them.

Neil Poznansky, assistant to Bill Mott, trainer of Casa Creed
He has handled everything well. He likes it out here, and takes everything in his stride.

Emaraaty Ana and big-race jockey Andrea Atzeni stretch out at the end of their Thursday morning workCredit: Edward Whitaker

Kevin Ryan, trainer of Emaraaty Ana
He's in great form – he's turned inside out in the last couple of weeks. He worked the other day and we're very happy with where we are with him.

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer of Entscheiden
He ran very well in the Prix de la Foret and I think seven furlongs really suits him. This might be a bit short for him but we don’t have any seven-furlong Grade 1s in Japan.

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Mutafawwig
He has done well at the carnival this year, finishing second to Storm Damage on his two most recent starts. Those were both over seven furlongs, but he has shown a lot of pace and we wanted to see how he would get on against some very talented sprinters.

Corine Barande-Barbe, trainer of Air De Valse
She seems well and I couldn't hope to have her better. I'm told she's drawn on the right side [13] and the best horses are around her. The longer she can get a lead the better. She stumbled at the road crossing in the Abbaye and that might have been the difference between winning and losing, as well as how late the winner came at her.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Happy Romance
She probably did her best piece of work last week. She's super but it's a very strong race and it will take an extremely good horse to win it. We're very hopeful but she will need to step it up.

Francois Rohaut, trainer of Suesa
We have an interesting draw [11] next to Man Of Promise and being alongside the form horse should be an advantage. You have to forget Ascot because they were very special conditions but I asked William [Buick] and we both felt that on a flat track like Meydan 1,200 metres [six furlongs] will suit her better than 1,000 metres.
Reporting by Scott Burton

Saturday's Meydan previews:

3.20 Meydan: 'They're bringing their complete A team' – can Lord North repel Japanese squad?

3.55 Meydan: which global formlines will prove the strongest in the Sheema Classic?

4.30 Meydan: 'As good as we've seen from any horse' – Life Is Good work has Pletcher purring

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