Course suits Mutahaddith

Five days after hosting Super Saturday, the dress rehearsal for the upcoming Dubai World Cup night, racing returns to Meydan for a domestic meeting, featuring a competitive seven race card, all on dirt.

Course specialist Mutahaddith, a winner at Meydan last month, clashes with the progressive Raven’s Corner in the valuable 1200m dirt handicap, Race 4. Mutahaddith, ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, snapped a 13-month losing run when defeating the reopposing Estidraak, making all the running under a canny front-running ride to take his Meydan tally to three and justify strong market support. He could be dangerous to peg back if allowed dominate, once again, though he has to defy a career-high mark.

Raven’s Corner, trained by Satish Seemar, has impressed since arriving in the Emirates, scoring here in good style after showing plenty of promise on his Meydan debut behind the ill-fated Shoreditch. He’s very unexposed on dirt after just two starts on the surface and is relatively fresh horse at this stage of the season, unlike most of his rivals who have had a busy campaign.

It’s by no means a two horse race and Mathematics, representing the in-form Doug Watson, holds obvious over a course he has enjoyed success, winning twice here in December. Raven’s Corner had his measure when they clashed last month but Watson’s is better off at the weights with that rival today, and could get his revenge.

Racing gets under way with 1400m maiden and it looks a good opportunity for Doug Watson’s Igloo to open his account. Bred in France, the once-raced colt went into many notebooks on his racecourse debut at Jebel Ali two months, keeping on nicely in the closing stages to finish third behind Bochart having looked green and suffering a troubled passage.

He should have benefited from the experience, hails from an inform yard whose runners in these events always demand respect and looks the one to beat.

The 75-rated Syncopation, representing Mike de Kock, is one of the lesser lights in his yard, having shown modest level form in two local outings since joining the stable at the start of the season.

That said, this is his easiest task to date in the Emirates and it will be disappointing if the threeyear- old Dark Angel gelding isn’t in the firing line.

Watson’s King Cole, the mount of Pat Dobbs, is fancied to open his local account in Race 2, a 1400m handicap.

The son of Scat Daddy produced a promising effort on his local and dirt debut when third at Jebel Ali, before stepping up on that form considerably when close third behind Raven’s Corner next time at Meydan.

On that occasion he caught the eye, staying on stoutly in the closing stages from an unpromising position.

Stable companion Sheeba, a winner at Meydan earlier in the winter, wasn’t disgraced from a poor draw last time and is one to consider, along with Secret Ambition,trained by Satish Seemar,and Prepared, who both arrive in good order after fighting out the finish of a recent handicap at Meydan.

Vivernus, first past the post in a course maiden in January only to be disqualified after failing the post-race test for Musabbeh Al Mheiri, is going to tough to beat in Race 3, the second Maiden Plate on the card over 2000m. Now trained by Maria Richie the Street Cry colt has plenty in hand on the official ratings and this looks an ideal opportunity to get off the mark.

Anbar, trained by Kuwaiti Rashed Bouresly, went close to pulling off a massive shock at Jebel Ali on Friday, just failing to hold off the late challenge of Shillong.

That was a big step up on his previous form this season, and if translating that form to Meydan holds obvious claims in the concluding race, a 1600m handicap.