UAE 1000 Guineas + Zabeel Mile at Meydan

Meydan, Friday, 20 January: The third round of the Racing Carnival in Dubai takes place today. First up is the UAE 1000 Guineas (4th race/16.45pm/150,000 $/1600m/Dirt) with a three-strong force from Al Rashid Stables. Two fillies saddled by Doug Watson. Asawer (Pat Dobbs) and Awasef (Sam Hitchcott) made a strong impression in their recent appearance in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial but were ultimately on the losing end against Mimi Kakushi (Mickael Barzalona). It remains to be seen whether they will reverse their form this time. Unjokable (Ray Dawson) and Nafas (Tadhg O`Shea) were in the picture behind. In the final standings, Here We Are (Royston Ffrench), who was clearly better than Asawer and Mimi Kakushi on December 1, could end up at the front.

The dominance of the hosts is evident in the Zabeel Mile (5th race/17.20/180,000 $/1600 m/Tuf). Five of the eight entrants are provided by Godolphin, with Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby in charge. The latter may fancy his best chances through Master Of The Seas (William Buick), for whom the season ended far too soon after winning the Earl Of Sefton Stakes (Group 3), and Modern News (James Doyle), who ran strongly in the Sovereign Stakes (Group 3) when finishing second last time. I Am Superman (Colin Keane), who has been staying in Australia for a long time, could steal the show from the Royal Blues. After his Group 1 start in the Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, the seven-year-old took a break and is now competing under new management.