G1 – 1200m – Turf
| 1 | Faatinah | A G2 winner and G1 placed in Australia, his early speed proved decisive – winning a 1200m handicap on his Meydan debut in January. Disappointing he couldn’t follow up on that in another handicap but it didn’t help that he had trouble when the gates opened. |
| 2 | Washington DC | Ryan Moore’s mount was beaten 4 1/2L when seventh in this race last year, never posing a serious threat but finishing well. He has struggled to be really competitive at the top level though he did come with a powerful late charge to win a G3 at The Curragh last August. |
| 3 | Librisa Breeze | Needs to come late so can encounter trouble but very exciting when his late surge works as it did when he beat 11 rivals in a G1 over this distance at Ascot last October. That was on soft ground but he also won on fast conditions, and he’s won off a break before. |
| 4 | Illustrious Lad | Doesn’t look the strongest of the Aussie raiders here and, though he was only short-headed in a 1100m G2 at Caulfield last October, some more recent efforts don’t offer a huge amount of confidence. |
| 5 | Stormy Liberal | A sustained late surge up the rail saw him gain a shock success in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar last November. He didn’t figure in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint but ran a solid second to today’s rival Conquest Tsunami at Santa Anita last time. |
| 6 | Holding Gold | Clearly a smart US turf sprinter, and, though only seventh, he was finishing fast and only beaten 1 3/4L in last November’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Back in the winners’ enclosure when outspeeding eight rivals over 1100m at Fair Grounds last month. |
| 7 | Richard’s Boy | Always prominent in a fast and furious running of the 1000m G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last November, he led towards the end only for his stablemate and today’s rival Stormy Liberal to nail him late on. He was a disappointing favourite on his latest start. |
| 8 | Baccarat | Down the field in this race last year and his trainer admits that as a nine-year-old now he is unlikely to be suddenly winning it this year. He won a handicap here in February and, considering he missed the break, he ran a good fourth to Jungle Cat here this month. |
| 9 | Conquest Tsunami | Has had a few problems and some lengthy breaks between some races but this US speedster is in very good shape right now having won both starts this year, latterly defeating stablemate and today’s rival Stormy Liberal in a 1300m G3 at Santa Anita. |
| 10 | Jungle Cat | Never far from the speed he ran on strongly to beat local legend Ertijaal by 2 1/4L over this distance this month, and that followed on from a 1400m G2 Meydan victory in February. Fourth in this race last year when the rain-softened ground didn’t help. |
| 11 | Magical Memory | Can occasionally run an unexplainable stinker but he’s very good on his day as he showed when he accelerated from midfield to win a G3 over this distance at Newbury last July on softer ground than he prefers. Frankie Dettori – his jockey then – partners him again here. |
| 12 | Music Magnate | Trying to become the third Australian-trained Al Quoz Sprint winner. It is very hard to compare form with what he has achieved back home but he has won sprints at both G1 and G2 level and was a winner over this distance at Randwick in December. |
| 13 | Blue Point | A fantastic looking individual who seems to be getting stronger and quicker. Twice a G3 winner over this distance at Ascot in 2017 and he pushed Ertijaal hard in the closing stages of a 1000m G2 here in February. |
| 14 | Hit The Bid | Pushed Ertijaal hard when runner-up in a 1000m handicap in January though he was getting 12lb from that speedster. At level weights he couldn’t quite handle Ertijaal or Blue Point in a 1000m G2 dash here last month but it was still a good effort. |
