Firebreak Stakes at Meydan

Meydan, Friday 27 January: More top-class racing comes from Meydan today, where the Firebreak Stakes (6th race/5.55pm/150,000/$1600m/dirt) takes centre stage. Three weeks ago at the start of the Dubai Racing Carnival, a similar test was decided in the form of the Al Maktoum Challenge, where Discovery Island (Antonio Fresu) stood no chance against the winning Algiers but gave an altogether convincing performance when second to Everfast (Pat Dobbs) and is now due for victory.

A year ago, the Dubawi son ran here in the Lincoln Navigator Handicap and lost to Law Of Peace (Tadgh O`Shea) by a length and a half. Discovery Island`s stablemate went on to win two more trials over grass and moved into the break that has lasted since March. Prince Eiji (Sam Hitchcott) won here on 1 December at List level against Thegreatcollection (Adrie de Vries) and Everfast, among others, and the seven-year-old trained by Doug Watson was also convincing in his fifth place in the Al Maktoum Challenge. Ever Given (Mickael Barzalona) and Mister Saint Paul (Royston Ffrench) ran at a higher level in Europe last year and changed quarters to Salem bin Ghadayer in October. It remains to be seen how the two youngest entrants in the field will do after the break. Imperial Empire (Ray Dawson) has not run so far this season.