Dubai Carnival tips: Angus McNae's best bets for week four

Three winners last week - albeit at short prices - has given this column a bit of impetus and I am going to attack this week’s card with five selections. Good luck everybody.

2.35 Meydan: Rudy Trigger

He will be very hard to beat here.

Rudy Trigger is rated 110 having won three of his five starts in his native Argentina and is fully 19lbs clear of his nearest rival on official ratings.

In his latest Grade Two success he made all to win by five lengths in a very fast final time of 1m 10.23s. If he reproduces that effort he will win by clear daylight.

Rudy Trigger handles this surface and has plenty of pace, vital attributes for winning on the dirt at Meydan. Opposition is thin on the ground here and from stall 4 I can see him dominating his rivals and sauntering to success.

3.10 Meydan: New Science

He can continue to progress on this Dubai debut after displaying plenty of ability in four runs in Europe last year.

New Science won two of those starts, most notably a Listed race at Ascot where he beat the future dual Grade One winner Angel Bleu. He was then unlucky not to go close in the Prix De La Rochette at ParisLongchamp, where he was continually denied a run having travelled against the rail. Once extricated, he was then badly hampered. That run is a complete right off.

He is better judged on his Ascot win and with plenty of stamina on the dam’s side of the pedigree this step up to a mile looks sure to suit - as will further in time.

New Science is drawn widest in stall 7, but in such a small field William Buick should be able to fashion a decent trip.

3.45 Meydan: Tuz

Tuz is tough, consistent and mildly progressive and can advantage here given doubts about the likely favourite Hypothetical.

Those concerns centre around his lacklustre reappearance and, while that may be explained away by a lack of fitness, that is dark arts stuff in my opinion and I prefer the consistent Tuz.

The five-year-old won the Dubai Creek Mile last time out with some useful horses in behind. He was third in the Burj Nahaar last season behind a fully firing Midnight Sands and this renewal of the Firebreak Stakes is not as strong as that race.

Tuz hails from the in-form Bupat Seemar yard and promises to get a decent stalking trip on a track that seemed to be more of a level playing field last week.

4.20 Meydan: Hot Rod Charlie

The more I look at this race and try to convince myself that Hot Rod Charlie is vulnerable, the stronger I feel about his chance.

He is the best dirt horse in the race by some way. Last year, he was third in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Belmont Stakes, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and beaten just a nose last time in the Grade Two San Antonio Stakes. That form shines like a beacon over what his rivals have achieved.

Hot Rod Charlie is a front-runner and that is no bad thing at Meydan, where he promises to make the lead from stall 3.

I am a fan of the lightly-raced Kafoo who will come on a lot for his experience in Round One of this Al Maktoum Challenge, but Round Two could be beyond him against this classy American raider.

4.55 Meydan: Violent Justice

He is worth chancing against a number of Godolphin horses who are not really bred to go on dirt.

Violent Justice stepped out on a racecourse for just the second time at Jebel Ali on Christmas Eve, doing so after a fairly promising debut at Meydan early in December when beaten just over four lengths after being slowly away and facing kickback.

To say he learnt from that experience would be an understatement, winning impressively by 10 lengths in maiden company and earning his place in this higher grade now.

Violent Justice has a useful dirt pedigree and is trained by Doug Watson, who has such a sure touch with horses that he runs on this surface.