Dubai: The Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News is one of the most-exciting spectacles of the night. Seeing these speedsters fly around the turn on the dirt over 1,200 metres is adrenalin chasing stuff and the nine, who go to post this year look to make this a stellar renewal of the first thoroughbred Group 1 on the dirt of the night. The American challenge has been particularly strong and they look to hold the aces again here tonight.
Many racing fans had not heard of trainer Peter Miller before the Breeders Cup in 2017 where he burst on the international scene with two winners on the night at his local track Del Mar. It will be fascinating to see how his other three speedsters get on in the race prior to this one but if one wins then the pressure and expectation will go up another notch for Roy H.
Having won the Breeders Cup sprint under Kent Desormeaux the pair teamed up again recently to win the Palos Verdes Stakes in good fashion and that run should put him just right for this challenge.
- Hideyuki Mori | Trainer
Last year’s winner Mind Your Biscuits is back to defend his title and he has been in great form recently being placed on his last two starts and he should be spot on again. He was beaten into third behind Roy H in the Breeders Cup Sprint but he did not have the run of the race and finished best of all of them and he will certainly be a massive threat to double up. Only one horse has won this twice and that was Caller One in 2001 and 2002 so it would be no mean feat.
The third runner from the States is XY Jet and he showed he has a great chance when finishing second in this race in 2016. He missed a year after that and has had three races on his comeback in which he has won all three and the last two conditions races in great style suggesting he is back to his best.
Emisael Jaramillo takes the ride for Jorge Navarro, who has had two previous runners at Meydan who have finished second and third and he will be hoping to win the jackpot tonight.
There will not be a dry eye in the house if the grand old man Reynaldothewizard wins this race for a second time at the sprightly age of twelve years after his first win. Beautifully handled by Satish Seemar and his team, he is a credit to connections, having shown all his old zest to win a race this season and place twice subsequently. He goes well fresh and has been trained to the second.
- Satish Seemar | Trainer
When My Catch won the Al Shindagha Sprint with ease earlier this season he was always going to be a contender for this. His run on Super Saturday can be ignored and he looks to be the strongest of the home team. Pat Dobbs takes the ride for the likeable Chicagan Doug Watson, who was recently crowned champion trainer here for the third year in succession.
On Super Saturday, Jordan Sport very much came of age for Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass. He took apart a super field in the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal. Adrie de Vries gave him a wonderful ride that night and is a class jockey. He looks progressive and if he produces that sort of performance he is sure to be a big challenger to the USA team.
Hideyuki Mori brings over his sprinter Matera Sky from Japan and he is also in great form having won his last two and this will again be a sterner test. Wild Dude and Shillong complete the field for local connections and they might just find this pace too hot to handle.
I think this looks very likely to be an American 1-2-3 and we feel Roy H will just have too much power for XY Jet and will also deny Mind Your Biscuits the double. You will all certainly know about Peter Miller after this one!
(Harry Tregoning is a horse racing expert and Managing Partner, Tregoning Property)
GN Selections
1 Roy H
2 XY Jet
3 Mind Your Biscuits
