Shahama hard to beat in UAE Oaks

Meydan, Friday, February 18: Six races are on the programme at Meydan today and three of them have Group status.

The UAE Oaks (3rd race/16.10pm/150,000 $/1900m) features seven three-year-old fillies. Crystal clear favourite in the Group 3 contest over dirt is the unbeaten Shahama (Adrie de Vries), who put all her class on the line here in the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed race) and came out superior to Minwah (Pat Dobbs), Hot Pink (Ray Dawson) and Uchchaihshravas (Ulrika Holmqvist).

A race later in the Blue Point Sprint (4th race/16.45pm/180,000/1000m/turf), Lazuli (Wiliam Buick) faces his first desert hit. Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, the five-year-old pleased in the Dubai Sprint (Listed race) three weeks ago when second to Khaadem (Frankie Dettori), who also performed well a length back. He`s A Balter (C. Jones) narrowly missed victory in the Dubai Sprint on the same day and is expected to spring a surprise.

There is a big crowd in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy (5th race/17.20 h/200,000 $/2810 m/Turf). 15 horses are eligible to start and again it is the hosts who set the pace. Manobo (Wiliam Buick) has yet to do anything wrong in his four-start career and now looks to extend his winning streak in the desert. Rodrigo Diaz (Jamie Spencer) is also making his debut in Dubai and should play a leading role straight away. He last ran in the Doncaster Cup (Group 2) and finished fourth behind Stradivarius. Pablo Escobarr (Tadhg O`Shea) and Dancing King (Mickael Barzalona) are other newcomers with good chances.