Rest of Meydan

The rest of the Meydan card is also top class with some very competitive fields, and fancied runners from the U.K., Ireland, France, South Africa and Japan taking on the might of Godolphin, who as usual have several runners in most races.

A Japanese victory seems very likely in the Sheema Classic over 1 1/2 miles on turf at 18.20, in which Gentildonna (Y Ikee/ Y Iwata) looks certain to start a hot favourite. She has won her last 5 races, including the Japanese gillies triple crown and the Japan Cup, in which she just defeated Arc runner-up Orfevre, which is clearly the best form in the race. St. Nicholas Abbey (Aidan and Joseph O´Brien), just touched off in this race last year by Cirrus des Aigles, looks the obvious danger, although we are of course hoping for a good run from German candidate Girolamo (Peter Schiergen/ Andrasch Starke). He won the Preis von Europa last time, but will need to show considerable improvement to figure in this much hotter company.

Two German runners with, in our view , a slightly better chance are Zazou (Waldemar Hickst/ Khasmat Ulabuev) in the Godolphin mile at 14.10 and Seismos (Andreas Wöhler/ Mirco Demuro) in the Gold Cup over 2 miles at 14.45. Zazou has been running over longer distances, but we think a strongly-run mile could suit him and the opposition is certainly not as strong as in the World Cup, in which he finished 5th last year. Red Jazz (Charlie Hills/ Ryan Moore), twice third in this race, and the unbeaten Soft Falling Rain (Mike de Kock/ Paul Hanagan) are the main dangers. The latter has done nothing wrong and took the UAE 2000 Guineas here, but he is the youngest horse in the field and faces easily his toughest task yet.

Seismos on the other hand is moving up in trip and has never so far5 run beyond 1 172 miles. However his shrewd trainer knows what he is doing and we think he could possibly pull off a surprise here. Saddlers Rock (John Oxx( Declan McDonogh) and Cavalryman (bin Suroor/ de Sousa) are proven stayers who sould be involved, but the one to beat is surely the lightly-raced Imperial Monarch (Aidan O´Brien/ Ryan Moore), also moving up in trip, but as the winner of the Grand Prix de Paris a high class performer; he has been heavily backed this week with British bookmakers and will be a strong favourite.

Another possible Irish winner is Sole Power (Eddie Lynam/ Johnny Murtagh) in the Al Quoz Sprint over 5 furlongs at 16.05. In theory he cannot beat Shea Shea (Mike de Kock/ Christophe Soumillon), who beat him by 2 1/2 lengths in the trial here 3 weeks ago, wiith several of these runners further back, but the South African had the run of the race then and we think Sole Power, also just beaten here last year, is a rock solid each-way bet.

It is most unlikely that Godolphin will not have some winners today, and their best chance seems to be Mental (Al Zarooni/ Barzalona) in the 6 furlongs Golden Shaheen at 16.45. The ex-Australian horse looked very smart when winning easily on his sole Dubai start and should be strong enough to hold off last year´s winner Krypton Factor (Fawzi Nass/ Kieron Fallon) and Gordon Lord Byron (Tom Hogan/ Buick).

The Duty free at 17.40 is tzhe trickiest trace of the card and there are a dozen possibler winners. Little Mike (Dale Romansd/ Gary Stevens>) won the Breeders Cup Turfg but is posobly even better suited by this shorter distance and may be able to make all the running, but German-owned and French-trained Giofra (Alain de Royer-Dupre/ Maxime Guyon) and Godolphin´s Sajjhaa (bin Suroor/ de Sousa) are two more fillies that could make this a great meeting for the fairer sex.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Tm Fred Texas - Areem - Nieshan
2. Race: Soft Falling Rain - Penitent - Master Of Hounds
3. Race: Imperial Monarch - Saddler`S Rock - Cavalryman
4. Race: Secret Number - Law Enforcement - Lines Of Battle
5. Race: Shea Shea - Eagle Regiment - Sole Power
6. Race: Mental - Gordon Lord Byron - Trinniberg
7. Race: Trade Storm - Ocean Park - Little Mike
8. Race: Gentildonna - St Nicholas Abbey - Shareta
9. Race: Hunter`S Light - Royal Delta - Animal Kingdom