Indomito at Meydan

Indomito (Pavel Vovcenko/ Wayne Smith) is the only German-trained runner at this year´s Dubai Racing Carnival and we think that he has a good chance in the Imtiaz Handicap over 7 furlongs on tapeta that opens today´s card at 15.25 CET. He ran a good race over this CD 3 weeks ago, and is expected to be fitter this time. He can reverse the form with that day´s runner-up Yirga (Ali al Raihe/ Royston Ffrench, but there is plenty of new opposition, including Mike de Kock´s pair Atlantic Sport (Kevin Shea) and Clearly Silver (Christophe Soumillon). Rakaan (Jamie Osborne/ Ted Durcan) finished just in front of the former last time, and comes into the reckoning as does Ayun Tara (Xavier Nakkschdji/ Gregoire Benoist). Obviously this is a tough race, but we hope that Indomito can be the first German winner at Meydan, and the first at the Carnival since the glory days of Quijano.

Main event at Meydan today is the UAE 2,000 Guineas at 18.30. Zanzamar (de Kock/ Richard Hills) was an easy winner of the trial and should go close, but ex-Argentinian Paulinho (Herman Brown/ Ryan Moore) and Ascot winner Abjar (Clive Brittain/ Durcan) could be dangerous.

The other big feature here is the listed Firbreak Stakes over a mile at 17.50. Mike de Kock, with 3 runners, holds a strong hand here, and both Imbongi (Shea) and Musir (Soumillon) should get involved. Musir was unbeaten in 3 starts here last year, including the local 2,000 Guineas and Derby. Bankable (Herman Brown/ Moore) just beat Imbongi here a year ago but is not certain to confirm the form at these weights, while Skysurfers (Saeed bin Suroor/ Frankie Dettori) is rather inconsistent but still seems the best of the 3 Godolphin runners.