DUBAI : The first three weeks of the 2009-10 season have flown by but this week is a blank in the fixture list. At least it means I can sit down to a cracking Sunday of football.
With eight meetings gone it is a good time to reflect and the season has already taken shape.
Champion trainer Doug Watson once again leads the way with eight winners, all thoroughbreds and exactly half of whom won at Jebel Ali last Friday. All four carried the colours of owner Malih Al Basti who sadly was absent.
Saifaldin Deeb has his string in great form and is on six winners, all purebred Arabians, with Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Rod Simpson five apiece.
The jockeys' race looks wide open and Wayne Smith currently leads the way with eight, one ahead of both Royston Ffrench and Tadhg O'Shea. Richard Mullen is on five. This is one race that should go to the wire.
Season so far: Highlights and pointers
nWatson's Alsadeek won the opening race of the season at Jebel Ali by a wide margin and repeated that feat last week. His handicap rating has suffered dramatically but he is clearly progressing at a rate of knots.
He is just one of several dual winners, including Summer Games (Rashed Bouresly), Balerina and Jinad (both Saifaldin Deeb), Seeking An Alibi (Abdullah Bin Huzaim) GRP Mudhish (Bakhit Al Katbi) and Knife (Majid Al Jahouri).
Satish Seemar may not have had a winner since his first-day double but his Ibn Al Nafis, who made a winning debut, could be useful. Bur Dubai and Impenetrable, who chased him home, have both won since.
The mighty Mizzna was very impressive when winning at Abu Dhabi after a year off. The 2010 Kahayla Classic (a race she won in 2008) is her long-term target.
Ibn Battuta looks a thoroughbred to follow for Musabah Al Muhairi and Wayne Smith was clearly impressed after his win at Abu Dhabi. He will be interesting at the Carnival.
Certainty of the season to date was Rod Simpson's Elmalak Elwaheed at Abu Dhabi - allowed to run off her UAE mark from last season (60), having run well in Group 1 company in the UK.
