The action shifts to grass for the first time this season with the third meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival. The race in question is the Group 3 Al Rashidiya, over the same 1777m as the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night. This year's rivalry sees five South African-trained horses take on five trained locally in a fascinating clash as the South Africans seek a fourth win in the race in six years.
Herman Brown, who won in 2006, saddles two while compatriot Mike De Kock saddles three. He won the race in 2004 with subsequent Duty Free winner Right Approach and the following year with Wolf Whistle. Two of the De Kock trio, Silver Mist and Hunting Tower, have already won at the Carnival this year and stable jockey Kevin Shea rides the former, explaining: "It was a hard call but I just felt he won a better race and in good style."
The Brown duo, Oracle West and Traffic Guard, are Carnival stalwarts but both are making first appearances for their latest trainer, who said: "Oracle West probably needs a bit further but they are both well." Erwan Charpy's Mashaheed is a fascinating contender on his second local start having had one run last year. His French trainer explained: "He is a horse we really like and can hopefully go well but it does look an open race."
Mubarak Bin Shafya, in his first season training, has four carnival winners to his name already this year and one of them, Third Set, bids for a second course and distance victory this campaign. Ahmad Ajtebi retains the ride and the trainer said: "He has come out of his race well and is in good form." Shafya also runs With Interest who was behind his stable companion on that occasion. With Godolphin then, he beat Kirklees and the latter would be looking for revenge although the trainer Suroor will be without his favourite jockey Frankie Dettori. The top jockey is unwell.
The concluding mile turf handicap will feature a first UAE runner for Queen Elizabeth II when the Andrew Balding-trained Banknote faces 15 rivals in a wide open contest. jsullivan@thenational.ae 7.15pm: Fateh Field - Art Of War 7.45pm: Yamal - Brave Tin Soldier 8.15pm: Wingbeat - League Champion 8.50pm: Dynamic Saint - Bennie Blue 9.20pm: Sanbuch - Al Shemali 9.50pm: Kirklees - Traffic Guard
10.20pm: Yasoodd - Strategic News NAD AL SHEBA CARD 7.15pm DUBAI INGOT 1,600m (TB) (Dirt) Handicap (rated 90-105) US$110,000 1. 04-2 FATEH FIELD (4y b c) 59.5 S.bin Suroor ? T.Durcan 2 2. 110- SHOPTON LANE (5y b h) 59.5 D.Watson ? F.Jara 7 3. 00-0 BOSTON LODGE (9y ch g) 58.5 F.Nass ? E.Ahern 9 4. 205- TASTEYVILLE (6y gr/ro r) 58.5 E.Charpy ? R.Hills 3 5. 21-0 ART OF WAR (4y b g) 58 M.de Kock ? K.Shea 4
6. 06-0 BRUGES (4y b c) 57.5 A.al Raihe ? R.Mullen 6 7. 62-0 EASY TARGET (4y ch c) 57.5 X.Nakkachdji ? C.Lemaire 11 8. 0-30 GRAND HOMBRE (9y db/br g) 57.5 R.Bouresly ? K.John 1 9. 34/4 FARES (5y b g) 56 D.Watson ? D.O'Donohoe 8 10. 21-0 FIRESTREAK (4y b g) 55 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 5 11. -122 AAMAAQ (6y b h) 53.5 A.al Raihe ? R.Ffrench 10 7.45pm DUBAL TROPHY 1,500m (TB) (Turf) Handicap (95-110) $120,000
1. 40/3 SEIHALI (10y b h) 60 D.Selvaratnam ? W.Buick 16 2. -212 BRAVE TIN SOLDIER (5y b h) 59 M.de Kock ? K.Shea 10 3. 1-00 CONQUEST (5y b g) 59 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 8 4. 111- POINTING NORTH (4y b g) 59 S.Seemar ? R.Mullen 2 5. 116- FINICIUS (5y b g) 58.5 E.Griffin ? K.Manning 15 6. 65-2 LESSING (4y b f) 56 X.Nakkachdji ? C.Lemaire 14 7. 40-0 GOLDEN RIVIERA (4y b c) 55.5 H.Brown ? E.Ahern 13
8. 00-0 GRAND VISTA (5y b h) 55.5 H.Brown ? R.Moore 12 9. 044- MOJITO ROYALE (5y b g) 55.5 E.Doyle ? M.Kinane 5 10. -225 MONTPELLIER (6y b/br g) 55.5 A.al Raihe ? R.Ffrench 9 11. 110- KEEP DISCOVERING (4y b g) 55 E.Charpy ? T.O'Shea 3 12. 0-00 RAGHEED (5y ch h) 55 E.Charpy ? R.Hills 1 13. 020- ARTIMINO (5y b g) 54.5 I.Mohammed ? D.O'Donohoe 11 14. 500- UNDERWORLD (4y ch g) 54.5 M.al Muhairi ? W.Smith 4
15. -150 EKHTIAAR (5y b g) 54 A.al Raihe ? F.Jara 7 16. 310- YAMAL (4y b g) 53.5 S.bin Suroor ? T.Durcan 6 8.15pm DUBAL POWER DASH 1,000m (TB) (D) Handicap (90-105) $110,000 1. -041 LEAGUE CHAMPION (6y b g) 59.5 R.Bouresly ? K.John 5 2. 24-0 STRIKE UP THE BAND (6y b g) 59 D.Nicholls ? A.Nicholls 12 3. 022- SARISSA (5y b m) 57 P.Bary ? C.Lemaire 3 4. 500- CHARLIES ISLAND (5y b h) 55.5 H.Brown ? R.Moore 7
5. 00-0 HAMMADI (4y b c) 55.5 D.Watson ? D.O'Donohoe 1 6. -653 BOUNTY QUEST (7y b g) 55 D.Watson ? F.Jara 8 7. 010- DREAM PACT (8y b h) 55 L.Riccardi ? G.Marcelli 11 8. 620- SELECT REASON (4y b g) 55 E.Martins ? M.Kinane 2 9. 055- TAWAASSOL (6y dkb h) 55 E.Charpy ? R.Hills 10 10. 113- WINGBEAT (4y b c) 54.5 I.Mohammed ? T.Durcan 15 11. 3-06 BOREHAN (6y b g) 54 D.Selvaratnam ? W.Buick 9
12. 000- NEW FREEDOM (7y b g) 54 M.al Muhairi ? W.Smith 4 13. 14-4 SOUND THE DRUM (7y b g) 54 A.al Raihe ? R.Mullen 6 14. -154 CHANGE ALLEY (4y b c) 53.5 A.al Raihe ? R.Ffrench 14 15. 1-40 FELIX (3y gr c) 53.5 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 13 16. -000 MALAYEEN (6y br h) 53 A.Selvaratnam ? T.O'Shea 16 8.50pm DUBAL BILLET 2,000m (TB) (D) Handicap (90-105) $110,000 1. 1-44 SINGING POET (8y b g) 59 E.Charpy ? T.O'Shea 5
2. 11-0 IRISH MAYHEM (4y db/br c) 58.5 S.bin Suroor ? R.Mullen 8 3. -333 DYNAMIC SAINT (6y b g) 58 D.Watson ? R.Moore 6 4. 3-00 IGOR PROTTI (7y b h) 58 A.bin Huzaim ? W.Supple 11 5. -406 BENNIE BLUE (6y ch h) 56.5 M.de Kock ? K.Shea 14 6. -600 MUTASALLIL (9y db/br h) 56.5 D.Watson ? F.Jara 3 7. -250 MISTER FASLIYEV (7y b g) 56 E.Charpy ? D.Badel 2 8. 013- SGT SCHULTZ (6y b g) 55.5 J.Moore ? E.Ahern 1
9. 0-11 EMIRATES LINE (6y ch g) 55 M.bin Shafya ? J.Rosales 9 10. -306 TRUST N DUSTAN (4y ch g) 55 D.Watson ? D.O'Donohoe 10 11. 4-10 DUBAI TWILIGHT (5y b g) 54.5 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 12 12. -446 REMAAD (8y gr h) 54.5 D.Selvaratnam ? W.Buick 7 13. -220 CLASP (7y ch g) 53.5 D.Watson ? T.Durcan 13 14. -310 ELMUSTANSER (8y b h) 53.5 D.Watson ? R.Hills 15 15. 0-13 MOONQUAKE (4y db/br c) 53 M.bin Shafya ? R.Ffrench 4
8.20pm DUBAL POTLINE TROPHY 2,400m (TB) (T) Handicap (100+) $175,000 1. 44-4 SANBUCH (5y b h) 59 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 5 2. 4-51 CRIME SCENE (6y b g) 58.5 M.bin Shafya ? J.Rosales 11 3. 00-3 AL SHEMALI (5y ch h) 57.5 M.bin Shafya ? A.Murgia (4.5kg) 8 4. 0-21 ARQAAM (5y b h) 56.5 D.Watson ? R.Hills 6 5. 223- BON SPIEL (5y b h) 55.5 L.Cumani ? R.Moore 12 6. 10-0 BEFORE YOU GO (6y b g) 55 E.Charpy ? T.O'Shea 2
7. 14-4 FAR FROM OLD (6y b h) 55 J.Hammond ? F.Jara 4 8. 100- YOUNG MICK (7y br g) 55 G.Margason ? J.Egan 3 9. 0-26 ROHAANI (7y ch h) 54.5 D.Watson ? D.O'Donohoe 10 10. 40-3 AGE OF REASON (4y b g) 54 S.bin Suroor ? T.Durcan 7 11. 4-00 DETONATOR (4y b g) 54 M.bin Shafya ? W.Supple 1 12. 00-0 LOVE GALORE (4y b c) 53 M.Johnston ? R.Ffrench 9 9.50pm AL RASHIDIYA - DUBAL 1,777m (TB) (T) Group 3 $200,000
1. 130- ORACLE WEST (7y b g) 57 M.de Kock ? R.Moore 1 2. 225- TRAFFIC GUARD (5y b h) 57 H.Brown ? J.Egan 2 3. 132- KIRKLEES (5y b h) 57 S.bin Suroor ? T.Durcan 3 4. 214- MASHAAHED (6y b h) 57 E.Charpy ? R.Hills 4 5. 233- FAMILIAR TERRITORY (6y br h) 57 S.bin Suroor ? D.O'Donohoe 5 6. 30-1 THIRD SET (6y b g) 57 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 6 7.- 00-1 HUNTING TOWER (6y ch g) 57 M.de Kock ? R.Ffrench 7
8. 1-04 WITH INTEREST (6y b h) 57 M.bin Shafya ? J.Rosales 8 9. 66-1 SILVER MIST (6y gr g) 57 M.de Kock ? K.Shea 9 10. 04-6 ROYAL VINTAGE (4y ch g) 57 M.de Kock ? M.Kinane 10 10.20pm DUIBAL CASTHOUSE 1,600m (TB) (T) Handicap (95-110) $120,000 1. 23-0 MASAALEK (4y b c) 57.5 D.Watson ? R.Hills 12 2. 000- WISE DENNIS (7y b g) 57 A.Jarvis ? T.Durcan 10 3. -633 YASOODD (6y br g) 57 D.Selvaratnam ? W.Buick 13
4. 130- AKUA'BA (5y b f) 56.5 J.Bolger ? K.Manning 1 5. 0-00 EMIRATES SKYLINE (6y b g) 56.5 A.bin Huzaim ? W.Supple 6 6. 0-00 FATHAYER (4y ch c) 56.5 A.al Raihe ? R.Ffrench 14 7. 100- RIVER TIBER (6y b g) 56.5 S.bin Suroor ? M.Kinane 16 8. 000- STRATEGIC NEWS (5y ch h) 56.5 H.Brown ? R.Moore 5 9. 30-0 GOLD SOVEREIGN (5y b g) 55.5 I.Mohammed ? R.Mullen 8 10. 440- HALKIN (7y dkb h) 55.5 F.Nass ? E.Ahern 7
11. 421- BANKNOTE (7y b h) 54.5 A.Balding ? F.Norton 15 12. 14-0 PERFECT SEASON (4y b g) 54.5 H.Brown ? D.O'Donohoe 4 13. 3-65 STEPPING UP (6y ch h) 54.5 E.Charpy ? T.O'Shea 9 14. 04-0 MOSTASHAAR (7y b h) 53.5 D.Watson ? F.Jara 2 15. -553 FLEETING SHADOW (5y b h) 53 A.al Raihe ? W.Smith 3 16. 116- FURNACE (5y b g) 53 M.bin Shafya ? A.Ajtebi 11
