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O'Meara's admirable stalwart Lord Glitters bids for another Meydan victory

Lord Glitters and Jason Watson surge to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy last November
Lord Glitters and Jason Watson surge to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy last NovemberCredit: Edward Whitaker

Friday: Meydan

With every popular veteran there is always the lingering question at the start of every new campaign – can they possibly be as good or will decline start to set in?

In the case of Lord Glitters, the figures and evidence he presents to those around him suggest that at the age of nine, we are nowhere near reaching that stage.

Amazingly his Racing Post Rating of 119 for winning the Bahrain International Trophy in November was just a pound shy of a career best.

David O'Meara sends Lord Glitters back to the scene of some of his finest performances for the Group 2 Al Rashidiya (3.45) over 1m1f on a fixture at which he won easily 12 months ago.

"I guess it was a little bit of a surprise to see him win in Bahrain with a penalty but it was no surprise to see him run well," said O'Meara. "Prior to that I ran him at Haydock when I probably shouldn't have over a very fast mile and then at Champions Day when they went no pace and he got trapped in the middle of the field pulling too hard.

"They were two races that went completely against his style of running but his run before that in the Strensall at York, he was giving a good lump of weight to a very good horse in Real World."

O'Meara added: "I felt we had a really good chance of running well in Bahrain, I didn't feel the horse had deteriorated at all.

"In my opinion he seems to have retained his ability, or at least a good chunk of it."

Lord Glitters will once again face a battalion of Godolphin runners but in many ways Meydan is just as much a home game for Geoff and Sandra Turnbull's stalwart given his excellent record in Dubai.

O'Meara said: "I think that nine furlongs suits him well and he's been third in a Dubai Turf [to Almond Eye], had two wins and a third at the carnival last year and then was sixth in another Turf."

Charlie Appleby runs three and on ratings Art Du Val and William Buick may have a slight edge over Highland Avenue, the mount of Mickael Barzalona, while Saeed bin Suroor's best chance looks to lie with Frankie Dettori and the Cambridgeshire winner Bedouin Story.

"Art Du Val proved a consistent horse in Dubai last year and we gave him the summer off with another season at the Carnival in mind," said Appleby. "He goes into this race in good order and will be very competitive if he brings his A-game."

Appleby also fields the class horse in the UAE 2,000 Guineas Trial (3.10) in Albahr, who completed a four-timer in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine. He was withdrawn by the starter from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in an incident which briefly threatened to cause the expulsion of the eventual winner Modern Games.

Albahr has his first start on dirt and has 3lb in hand on official ratings over Uruguayan-trained Kiefer, who in common with Quality Boone carries an additional 3lb as a Southern Hemishpere three-year-old.

There is further Group 2 action on the turf in the Al Fahidi Fort (4.20), which sees the reappearance of 2,000 Guineas fourth Naval Crown, while Andrea Atzeni rides Canvassed for his boss Sheikh Mohammed Obaid in the Group 3 Dubawi Stakes (4.55), the Shamardal gelding's first start since finishing third in the Golden Shaheen on World Cup night last March.


Friday's race previews:

1.50 Lingfield: Can Eclair D'Ainay back up Wetherby win for the Skeltons in £50,000 event?

2.25 Lingfield: 'This is a good race for him' - On The Blind Side given golden opportunity

3.00 Lingfield: 'The boys who own him are quite excited about this' - novice chase quotes

3.35 Lingfield: 'The Irish could have a bit in hand' - who fears the raiders in £100k handicap?

6.15 Dundalk: Group 1 winner Thunder Moon warms up for Saudi target in classy conditions event

Meydan: O'Meara's admirable stalwart Lord Glitters bids for another Meydan victory


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Scott BurtonFrance correspondent

Published on 20 January 2022inPreviews

Last updated 09:15, 21 January 2022

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