*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
14:00 Meydan – Silent Speech (Mark Milligan)
SILENT SPEECH is by Dubawi and runs here for Charlie Appleby with this horse having tons and tons of stamina in his pedigree. However, he looks to have loads of speed also having won at Wolverhampton and reminds me physically of Space Blue who has done exceptionally well for this stable. I don’t think the drop back to 6-furlongs will be any inconvenience and I think he can get us off to a good start on Friday.
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14:35 Meydan – Island Falcon (James Shortt NAP)
Dubai Future kicked off the Dubai Carnival with a winner for Saeed bin Suroor last week and I think ISLAND FALCON can land this Derby Trial under Frankie Dettori. The son of Iffraaj was well fancied before spreading a shoe on the way to post before racing and securing his maiden at Nottingham last October. Despite the pre-race inconvenience, he learned plenty on that occasion by holding off Barley to win by a shorthead. I think Frankie will race handy from a nice draw with this horse having the slight edge over Charlie Appleby’s New Kingdom.
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15:45 Meydan – Royal Fleet (James Shortt)
Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby have dominated this race since 2017 and this year run five of the 11 declared runners between them. The wonderful Lord Glitters runs here for David O’Meara having landed the valuable Bahrain Trophy in Sakhir in November, and has previously won twice at Meydan, including success in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta last year. Art Du Val, the choice of William Buick was fourth in that race and also finished behind the O’Meara runner last January.
I’m thinking Art Du Val just might need the run which was the case with several of the Appleby runners last week. Despite winning here last January, Bedouin’s Story had plenty of racing last year and has an each-way chance under Frankie Dettori. However, I’m taking a punt with ROYAL FLEET who looks to have further scope for improvement now gelded having only suffered one defeat in five career starts – son of Dubawi might just surprise the bigger names in this race for team Appleby.
16:20 Meydan – Naval Crown (Mark Milligan NAP)
Charlie Appleby has a wonderful record in this race, winning five of the last seven renewals and I’m napping his NAVAL CROWN in this Group 2 contest. I’m happy to take on Land Of Legends who won this race last year for Saeed bin Suroor with more potential expected from my Charlie Appleby selection. He was a good fourth in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last May before finishing second in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and ending his season down the field in the Prix Jean Prat. He’s still only a four-year-old with more progression likely compared to the now six-year-old Land Of Legends.
16:55 Meydan – Freedom Fighter (Mark Milligan)
The Seemar team know what it takes to win this Group 3 Dubawi Stakes having landed this contest seven-times in the past nine-years. The stable are in excellent form and FREEDOM FIGHTER gets my vote because he’s come from Bob Baffert and was on the US Triple Crown stage early last year having finished second at Santa Anita. He disappointed over a mile at Aqueduct and didn’t stay before moving to the Seemar team following a summer run at Del Mar. I think he’ll have enough speed having broken his maiden over five-furlongs at Del Mar and he should represent some value against Canvassed and Al Tariq and he could be hard to stop.
Friday’s Meydan tips
14:00 – Silent Speech
14:35 – Island Falcon
15:45 – Royal Fleet
16:20 – Naval Crown
16:55 – Freedom Fighter
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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