Dubai Racing Carnival

This week´s double meeting at Nad al Sheba will be the seventh (today) and eighth (Friday) fixture of the Dubai Racing Carnival and once again features some very competitive racing. Today´s card includes 6 handicaps, mainly on turf, but the main event is the Group Two Al Fahidi Fort, a Group Twp race over a mile at 18.55. Trainer Mike de Kock and jockey Kevin Shea have dominated this race in recent seasons and can take it again with Imbongi; de Kock has also booked Frankie Dettori to partner Hunting Tower, but he still looks the stable´s second string. However Frankie, easily the leading rider at the meeting so far, looks in for another good day, as Godolphin´s easy handicap winners from the last meeting Asset, in the 6 furlongs handicap at 17.10, and Yamal, in the mile handicap at 19.25, won so well that they can go in again under a penalty. Frankie has also been booked by Ms. Erichsen to partner the German-bred Echoes Rock in the 1500 metres handicap at 16.05 and this ex-Ba ron Ullmann runner also has a good chance, although Mike de Kock´s Stubbs Art (Shea) would be a huge danger if back to his best form of last spring. Another interesting de Kock runner is Honour Devil (Johnny Murtagh) in the mile conditions race at 16.40, who has not been seen out since his spectacular victory in the UAE Derby at last year´s Carnival; de Kock´s runners often need their first run after a break, but on ratings Honour Devil must be very hard to beat today.

Betting forecast:
2. Race: Pointing North - Echoes Rock - Glow Star
3. Race: Honour Devil - Estihdaaf - Little White Lie
4. Race: Asset - Judd Street - Instant Recall
5. Race: Team Victory - Bucintoro - Arqaam
6. Race: Eastern Anthem - Mr Brock - Halicarnassus
7. Race: Summit Surge - Hunting Tower - Imbongi
8. Race: Leandros - Furnace - Yamal
9. Race: Gravitas - Captain Webb - Waldvogel