Dubai Turf Tips & Betting Preview 2018

IN SUMMARY: A really top class renewal of this valuable contest and one that could go to any of about five of these runners. At the prices it may be worth taking a chance on BLAIR HOUSE (Each Way) who has perhaps the best of the form but clearly the worst of the draw. William Buick rides and he will need to work out some tactical way to reverse that disadvantage but if he can then a place at a big price is more than a slight possibility.

1 CHAMPIONSHIP – The winner of six of his nineteen starts at up to a mile and peaking at Group Two level which doesn’t read so well over nine furlongs in a Group One race with such huge prize money attracting a top-class field. Last time out he finished a two and three-quarter length second to Noah From Goa which is decent if not spectacular form and even with Silvestre de Sousa riding he still looks up against it here.

2 NEOREALISM – One of Japan’s top horses and a real force to reckon with when at his best with seven career wins including the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin last April. Off since finishing third to Time Warp back in Hong Kong in December he does go well fresh so that is not a problem and if he is at his peak then he will be right there at the finish under Joao Moreira, one of the best jockeys riding in the World today.

3 PROMISING RUN – Who would think to see a Godolphin horse running at Meydan priced at 33/1 but that is the case here as the Saeed Bin Suroor trained five-year-old looks to add to her six career wins this afternoon. Yet to win at this level she does have three Group Two wins to her name so is clearly no slouch, but she did find Blair House Benbati, and Janoobi too good for her last time out and that form isn’t good enough for a serious challenge here.

4 TRAIS FLUORS – Andre Fabre’s French raider has to be of some interest with Victor Cheminaud riding after a highly promising second to Hunaina at Chantilly when beaten three-quarters of a length after being sent off a 4/5 chance. The son of Dansili won his first four starts at up to Group Three level but has been found out on his only two starts in the highest grade, though being beaten by Thunder Snow at Chantilly and then Al Wukair and others at Deauville is nothing to be ashamed of and he is expected to do even better as a four-year-old.

5 BENBATI – Godolphin’s second entry and to be ridden on this occasion by Oisin Murphy who has won on the son of Dubawi three times now and has clearly struck up a good working relationship. Only beaten three-quarters of a length by stable companion Blair House last time out he won’t need to do a lot more than that to take a hand here though why he is one fifth of the price of his conqueror on the same terms today is open to debate.

6 JANOOBI – Jim Crowley rides for Mike de Kock this evening but it does look as if Hamdan Al Maktoum’s four-year-old does have a few pounds more to find after finishing third to Blair House and Benbati last time out here over course and distance. To be fair he was only beaten a length at the line but there were no obvious excuses or reasons why that form should be reversed.

7 VIVLOS – The second Japanese challenger, this time for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi and with Cristian Demuro in the saddle. He did win this race last year, but the going was a lot softer and it is noted that Joao Moreira jumps ship to ride Neorealism, this year which may be a hint in itself. He seemed to struggle to keep up with the early leaders at Nakayama last time and a repeat of that would not be good enough to get involved here.

8 REAL STEEL – Yet another Japanese star in this high class line-up with an excellent fourth to Kitasan Black in the Grade One Tenno Sho at Tokyo when last in action towards the end of October. He won this race by half a length from Euro Charline in 2016 and cannot simply be ignored here but at the age of six and doesn’t have the benefit of Ryan Moore in the saddle this season but still ought to put in a big challenge.

9 MONARCHS GLEN – The John Gosden Frankie Dettori pairing are responsible for the son of the legendary Frankel who travels over from Newmarket looking to land his hat-trick after victories at Goodwood and Newmarket in Listed and then Group Three company. Off since last October this looks a big ask on his return to action but he is in very capable hands even if he is possibly best watched for now ahead of a return to action in the UK in a month or two’s time.

10 WAR DECREE – Surely the Aidan O’Brien second string with Seamie Heffernan in the saddle and after finishing tenth of twelve to Time Warp at Sha Tin last time out in December. He is held by the likes of Neorealism on that form and ought to struggle here though he may be in this line-up for tactical reasons unless he has improved considerably from three to four which seems pretty unlikely.

11 CROCOSMIA – The winner of five of his twenty-one starts at home in Japan he leaves his homeland for the first time to come here and as such we have no idea if he can handle travelling as some horses do and some don’t. His last win was in October over this trip in Grade Two company at Tokyo but his overall form comes up short of plenty of these and even a place seems unlikely today.

12 LANCASTER BOMBER – Ryan Moore rides which presumably makes him the O’Brien number one and the son of War Front has bits and pieces of placed form at this level that suggest he can mount a challenge. His second to World Approval in the Breeders Cup Mile was a career best effort and although beaten since when fifth at Sha Tin he has each way chances here if able to give his very best.

13 DEIRDRE – The final Japanese challenger for trainer Mitsuru Hashida and the winner of three races in a row last year culminating in the Grade One Shuka So at Kyoto in October. Beaten twice since with a sixth at Kyoto last time out, she needs to bounce back to her very best to win here but that is not an impossibility and at the prices she is very much one to consider each way back at a more suitable trip.

14 LESHLAA – Christophe Soumillon rides the Godolphin owned son of Street Cry who has won four of his fourteen starts at Kempton, Newmarket, Veliefendi, and here over a furlong further in February. Last time out he was never really placed to challenge before coming home last in the Group One Jebel Hatta earlier in the month and although better than that, he still has plenty to prove on that form, and others appeal far more.

15 BLAIR HOUSE – Carries the Godolphin first colours here with William Buick in the saddle and a winner last time out when taking the Group One Jebel Hatta here over course and distance when holding off Benbati by three-quarter of a length running on strongly. Possibly overpriced here and has the form in the book to run a big race and hit the places though sadly his high draw is not seen as an advantage.