Meydan on Friday: Osborne on Classic trail with Heart Of Honor

One of the most exciting horses at Meydan on Friday runs in the very first race, the Dubai Maritime City Conditions race, for three-year-olds over a mile on dirt. 

Jamie Osborne runshis Classic hope Heart Of Honor, who won impressively at Meydan on debut last month.

“It’s been a finely balanced decision to run on Friday rather than go straight to the UAE 2000 Guineas [January 24],” he said. “We’ve concluded that more experience will stand him in good stead for what’s to come. He’s been training very well since his win and all the signs are that he has improved.”

Heart Of Honor, who will be partnered once again by De Vries, faces ten  rivals, including Exculpation, who beat the re-opposing Honest Moon at Jebel Ali last time out.

Later on the card, Osborne's Ouzo will seeks a second successive win in the Lord North Handicap (sponsored by DP World) - the official feature on a packed Dubai Racing Carnival card on Friday which you can watch live on Racing TV.

Ouzo, who went onto land the Lord Glitters Handicap five weeks’ later, will be making his first start since September. He will be partnered by Adrie de Vries in the nine-furlong turf event, which has attracted a capacity field of 16. The first prize is about £45,000.

Trainer Jamie Osborne faces additional pressure in that his wife Katie is among Ouzo’s owners The Other Club, but he reported the gelding to be in good form for his title defence.

“It’s great to have him back here in an attempt to retain his Lord North crown,” he said. “He’s been training well and on all known evidence this course, distance and the Dubai air bring out the best in him.”

Osborne also runs a new recruit in See Hector, who has been purchased by leading Emirati owner Malih Al Basti specifically for the Carnival. A Group 3 winner in Germany when trained by Henk Grewe, he will be ridden by Pat Dobbs.

“He hasn’t been with us very long,” added Osborne. “Friday will show us where we are with him.”

Ouzo’s rivals include last year’s second Silent Film, back for a fourth Carnival for trainer Ian Williams, and the high-class Galen, gelded since finishing eighth in a Group 2 at Leopardstown in September. He lines up for multiple G1-winning trainer Joseph O’Brien, who is yet to have a Dubai winner in five attempts.

Dylan Cunha runs Silver Sword, who makes a quick return, and his trainer gave an honest appraisal of his chances.

“Silver Sword was disappointing last week but got boxed in twice when he was in a good rhythm and needed to make a run which I feel cost him," he said. "He’s a thinker and that was too much for him. I do feel we could have been 3rd/4th there.

“Friday is a lot tougher and he’s going to have to up his game to run well. He’s taken the race well and I’ve freshened him up into this week and he looks great. Ray [Dawson, jockey] has sat on him a few times over the past five weeks so knows him fairly well.”

The Al Wasl Stakes (sponsored by DP World),  for three-year-olds over 6f on turf, is the second most valuable race on the card.

It was won last year by Star Of Mystery, beating subsequent Grade One Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust, and a strong European contingent lines up again.

They include the Amy Murphy-trained Itsatenfromlen, winner of two of his four starts, including over this trip.

“He’s in good form, he shipped over well,” said the Newmarket-based trainer. “He enjoys quick ground and we are looking forward to running him.”

Osborne runs three-time winner Jungle Drums, a new recruit for his yard after being purchased from that of Karl Burke.

“We haven’t had him long and we are still learning about him,” he said. “He breezed well last week but I’m confident we can improve him further through the next few weeks.”

The 14-strong field also includes King’s Call, who reverts to racing against three-year-olds after an excellent fourth over course and distance last week.

“King’s Call ran a massive race against older horses last week,” said trainer Cunha. “He’s back against his own age and I feel he will run a huge race. He’s in tip top form and should be in the first three, all being well in the race.”

Godolphin run two; dual novice winner Midnight Thunder lining up for Saeed Bin Suroor and Lingfield Maiden winner Symbol Of Honour for Charlie Appleby.

“This is a good opportunity to see how much Midnight Thunder has improved since last year,” said Bin Suroor. “It’s a nice race for him and I’m looking forward to a good run.”

Appleby added of Symbol Of Honour: “Dropping back to six furlongs isn’t a concern for Symbol Of Honour, and you can put a line through his last run as he didn’t enjoy the soft ground. He put up a good performance at Doncaster and goes into this with the highest rating in the field.”

The JAFZA Logistics Park Handicap, over 5f on turf, looks very open on paper. The field of seven features Sky Hawk, for 13-time Spanish Champion Trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta, who has won two of his nine starts in Spain and the UK.

“Sky Hawk has improved during the year in Spain,” said Arizkorreta, who has booked ten-time Spanish Champion Jockey Vaclav Janácek for the ride. “He shows plenty of speed and I hope he will be competitive off his mark of 78, but it’s hard to assess with Spanish form. He seems happy in Dubai.”

Eight run in the 1m2f dirt JAFZA Handicap. The standout may well be UAE 2000 Guineas winner Mendelssohn Bay, who runs in a handicap and against his elders for the first time, having narrowly beaten stablemate Killer Collect in conditions company last time.

“We were very happy with Mendelssohn Bay’s last performance, maintaining his dominance in the three-year-old division in the UAE,” said Paul Ebbs, Managing Owner of the Suited & Booted Syndicate.

“This year’s international Carnival contenders are of a very high standard, but we are sure that Mendelssohn Bay will continue to develop, with his Curlin pedigree, and will be competitive against the older, established horses.”

Mendelssohn Bay receives weight from one of his biggest dangers on paper, Local Dynasty, who has a second try on dirt after a promising third on the surface in The Entisar last time out.

The final race is the JAFZA One Handicap, which features a second Arizkorreta runner in Thundering, who has recently joined the stable from the UK, having cost 18,000 Guineas at the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale.

“We just bought him from Kevin Ryan's in the Horses in Training Sale in October,” said Arizkorreta. “He is loving the sunshine and we are pleased with him.”

Thundering’s 15 rivals include Valdivia, successful on dirt last time out at Meydan for trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash.

Racing begins at 1.30pm. Racing TV will cover all the action, plus the feature races at Bahrain, before an eight-race card at Dundalk gets under way.