Dubai: Eleven different trainers have won the previous 11 editions of the Dubai Sheema Classic and tonight's $5 million (Dh18.36 million) turf contest over 12 furlongs wears an open look promising to pan out into a cracker of a race.
Godolphin's Rewilding trained by Mahmoud Al Zarouni, Brian Meehan's Dangerous Midge and Barry Hills' Redwood are joined by a pair on American raiders and Japan's Rulership as the front-runners to win this joint-richest turf race in the world.
Godolphin's pair of Rewilding and Calvados Blues hail from Mahmoud Al Zarouni's yard and the former under Frankie Dettori looks the best bet for the Emirati trainer who created history with a win on Dubai World Cup night last year.
Rewilding, a four-year-old Tiger Hill colt, was third to Workforce in the Epsom Derby last June and if Frankie Dettori can get him to reproduce that form, Godolphin is in with a chance. Ahmad Ajtebi, who gave Al Zarouni his Dubai World Cup night win on Calming Influence in the Godolphin Mile, rides Calvados Blues.
"Rewilding is doing very well and I think he will run a good race because he likes racing when fresh. He is a nice horse with plenty of class and is happy, fit and ready to run," Al Zarouni said.
Main challenge
Rewilding's main challenge could come from Brian Meehan's Dangerous Midge who won the Breeders' Cup Turf on his most recent outing. He won first time out last season and Meehan, who saw David Junior win the DDF (Group 1) in 2006 in similar conditions, is hoping his five-year-old bay will strike first time out this season.
"He has had an easier spring at home than David Junior had," he said. "We did have a bit of snow at one time but we were able to keep him going on the all-weather and he had a gallop at Kempton Park the other week. Plenty of people thought he was lucky in the Breeders' Cup and I hope he can step up on it on Saturday and prove them wrong as it pretty much looks his race," Meehan said.
Two other British runners — Redwood and Laaheb — and French representative Marinous all come in with strong credentials.
Japanese raider Rulership, a Group 2 winner and third behind Japan's Dubai World Cup hopefuls Victoire Pisa and Buena Vista in the Arima Kinen last year, is a strong contender while a pair of American runners add a new twist to the Sheema intrigue.
No American horse has won this turf contest but two top rivals — Bourbon Bay and Champ Pegasus — will be attempting to gain some fresh turf though they have their task cut out.
The UAE's champion trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe has switched his DDF (Group 1) winner Al Shemali to the longer distance while Jerry Barton's Deem will be hoping to improve on her 7th and 4th place finish in the last two Sheema races.
GULF NEWS SELECTIONS
- A: Rewilding
- B: Dangerous Midge
- C: Rulership
- Upset: Deem
