Horse Racing
Season
UAE Oaks - Form Comments

20/02/2019 15:39

G3 – 1900m – Dirt

1 Al Shamkhah Led close home to land a surprise Meydan victory, beating nine rivals on her career debut last November. Not disgraced on either start since including when 14.5L 7th of 15 behind Silva last month but it is still hard to imagine her making a big impact here.
2 Swift Rose Beautifully bred and her debut victory on the all-weather at Wolverhampton last November suggested that she could be pretty good. However a slow break didn’t help on her Meydan debut and she could then never advance from mid-division behind Silva here last month. According to her pedigree this longer distance is not guaranteed to help.
3 Dubai Beauty She wasn’t beaten far in a G1 at Longchamp on her third and final two-year-old start in Europe. However her two attempts on the dirt at Meydan this year have not been encouraging and some massive improvement would be needed here.
4 Divine Image A runaway winner of a novices’ event at Chelmsford last December, her only UK start. Well fancied to win a 1600m Listed race on her Meydan debut, but she was very slow from the gate and by the time she was really motoring, Silva had the race won. With a better start and over this longer trip, we could see huge improvement.
5 Dream With You Placed on various occasions on turf in France last year. Kept to the turf for her Meydan debut when 9th of 16 over 1400m here last month. No obvious reasons why the rise in distance or the switch to dirt is going to result in the huge improvement that is required.
6 Al Hayette Twice quite impressive when winning on the dirt here – over 1600m in December and 1400m in January, both times challenging late. However in stronger company she didn’t manage to make any sort of challenge behind Silva last time. Up in distance.
7 Starry Eyes Competed twice in the UK last year, latterly showing a good attitude to win a 1400m novices’ event on the all-weather at Chelmsford. Although beaten almost 13L into 5th behind Silva here last month she was doing some good work at the finish and the move up from 1600m to 1900m may well be helpful.
8 Lady Parma Her three career starts have all been here at Meydan and, without winning, she has improved race by race. Early speed is her speciality and she soon led in a 1600m Listed event here last month and, though passed by easy winner Silva 300m out, she didn’t fold and kept galloping to collect third money.
9 Habah From a top Dubai stable but so far Habah has not looked to be one of their stars. However there may be quite a lot of improvement to come as she has suffered an uncomfortably wide trip on various starts including when 13.5L 6th of 15 behind Silva over 1600m last month. This longer trip also might help.
10 Silva Began to make a name for herself when winning a maiden on Deauville’s all-weather track last December. Enhanced that massively when beating many better fancied rivals – by 9.75L and upwards – in a 1600m Listed event on the Meydan dirt last month, always looking comfortable. A longer trip for this speedily-bred filly, but big chance.
11 Mulhima Gradually progressive at a lowish level in the UK last year, winning a minor event on the all-weather at Newcastle on her third start. However she has not shown enough on either start here – including with plenty of today’s rivals well ahead of her – when 8th behind Silva last month.
12 Razeena Made some encouraging late headway to finish 2nd of 13 over 1600m on her debut here in December. Jockey bookings suggested that she was the stable’s major hope over 1600m last month, but she badly disappointed behind Silva that day.