We have a busy day’s racing on Friday with flat action from Wolverhampton and Meydan, live on Sky Sports Racing.
4.25 Meydan – G2 Zabeel Mile – Classy Quddwah faces nine rivals
The classy Quddwah goes to post for the feature of the day in the Group Two Zabeel Mile.
Simon and Ed Crisford won this race last year with Poker Face and they bring their stable star here in a bid to repeat the feat. He only managed to win twice last year but was keeping good company all season and very nearly took out the Prix Daniel Wildenstein in this grade in October.
At the end of a busy year, he disappointed when well down the field in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day and now having been freshened up he arrives here looking to return to form.
The second-highest-rated contender Holloway Boy was rated 5lbs lower when he was beat in this last year but arrives here off the back of a win in the Listed Hyde Stakes at Kempton in December, which followed a second in the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day. Another bold bid is expected.
Aomori City hasn’t been seen since finishing down the field in the French 2,000 Guineas and will need something of a revival if he’s to claim this but he represents strong connections and could be on the premises.
6.30 Wolverhampton – Chifa bids to defy six-pound rise
Chifa will bid to defy a 6lbs rise when he takes to the tapeta for the Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap at Wolverhampton.
He brought up his sixth win at his beloved Wolverhampton at the end of November where six of his seven career wins have come, and he gets the services of Dunstall Park-ace Luke Morris in what looks a winnable contest. He will have to defy a career-high mark of 69 to win this though and he is yet to win off anything higher than 65.
Top-weight Straight A represents the Michael Appleby team and is something of a Wolverhampton specialist himself, seeking a third course success this evening. He is 2lbs higher than his last winning mark, a win that came in January of last year, but he’s been unlucky with the handicapper as he has gone up in the weights without winning when bumping into some well-handicapped sorts.
3.15 Meydan – Jumeriah Stakes – Catullus and Treanmor clash
Godolphin pair Catullus and Treanmor clash in the Jumeirah Stakes at Meydan.
Catullus is the pick of William Buick and comes here from a lay-off having not been seen since his third in the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket in September. He was well beaten that day, but the form of the race has some substance to it with the winner Distant Storm finishing third in the Dewhurst next time out.
Stablemate Treanmor is the mount of Billy Loughnane, who has a 50 per cent strike rate when riding for Charlie Appleby in the UK. They team up here with a horse that was sent off a warm favourite for the Chesham Stakes. He hasn’t been seen since disappointing there, but this son of Frankel could prove much better than that and remains of interest. Appleby landed this contest with a second string 12 months ago and looks to hold the aces here.
Do or Do Not was highly tried for Ed Walker this summer and comes here top-rated with his second in the Coventry behind Gstaad being the best piece of form available here. His season petered out following that effort and is now trained by Jamie Osborne.
Power For Power got the better of Do Or Do Not over this course and distance last time out and they reoppose with the latter arriving here better off at the weights.
Best of the rest
3.50 Meydan – Dark Saffron headlines a competitive Group Three contest but needs to rediscover his form after disappointing in December.
6.00 Wolverhampton – Well-bred Frankel filly Star Obsession debuts for William Haggas.
8.30 Wolverhampton – Law Supreme looks to make it back-to-back course wins.
