(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle could pose the immediate threat should the former Saeed bin Suroor-trained manage to handle the track on his first run on dirt.
Shaishee ridden by Paul Hanagan (second right) at the Jebel Ali racecourse. — KT file
Dubai — A small but competitive field of seven runners has been declared to battle it to the wire in the 1600m Longines Classic Gents TB Rated Conditions the highlight of the third meeting on the new dirt surface at the Meydan Racecourse on Thursday.
Shaishee ridden by Dane O’Neill will be hard to beat should the four-year-old gelded son of Indian Charlie manage to appreciate the jump in rate and the extra furlong to reproduce the exciting performance under Silvestre De Sousa over a shorter trip at the same track on seasonal reappearance.
Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi at the Oasis-1 stables on behalf of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum UAE Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai Shaishee has apparently relished the new surface and travelled easily to smash a 10-runner field by more than five lengths before being eased close home.
Shaikh Hamdan’s retained jockey Dane O’Neill will be in the saddle.
“This fellow was very progressive last season” said the jockey who gets first pick of Shaikh Hamdan-owned horses. “Hopefully he is still improving as he won in a very impressive manner last time. This is a better race over a trip he has yet to win at but I don’t think that will be an issue. He deserves his chance in this better grade and we expect him to run a big race.”
Stable companion Modern History Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle could pose the immediate threat should the former Saeed bin Suroor-trained manage to handle the track on his first run on dirt. The Red Stables handler Doug Watson saddles two of the Shaikh Hamdan’s trio; Marching Time and Jawhar.
Genius Step is the one to follow as the Dubawi’s son eyes his second straight course and distance win of the new season and his fourth success since he came from UK to join Satish Seemar’s yard last year in the Longines Master Collection TB Handicap the fourth race.
In the fifth race Seemar saddles Tahaamah to renew rivalry against Watson’s runner Henry Clay in the 2000m Longines Saint Imier TB Handicap. Another Seemar winner from that opening Meydan meeting of the season is Cross Grain impressive winner of a 1400m maiden on his debut. He steps up to 1600m and tackles a handicap company on this occasion in the Longines Dolce Vita the final event of the night.
Seemar commented: “Tahaamah was useful for Godolphin and made the perfect start for us having been off the track since October 2013. Hopefully he can build on that.”
The meeting opens with the first Purebred Arabian contest on the new Meydan Racecourse dirt surface the 1600m prep race for the Mazrat Al Ruwayah.
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