Meydan Friday Preview - 18/02/22

The first selection of the afternoon comes in the Al Wasl Stakes over six furlongs and Home City for Saeed bin Suroor is looking to reverse the form with market leader Silent Speech.

Being a smart horse last season on the flat, winning a Novice and Maiden Stakes in July and August, he was then last seen in a Nursery Handicap at Doncaster when a narrow second to a nice type for Roger Varian.

Given some time off and returning at Meydan in January the seven furlongs did not suit, but last time out he was switched back to 6f and finished a good second behind Silent Speech.

At the prices he is the value bet and has every chance of reversing the form if improving.

The feature race of the afternoon is the Group Two Blue Point Sprint over five furlongs and Lazuli at the top of the market is very hard to get away from.

Being a solid sprinter throughout his career, winning races like the Group Three Palace House, Group Three Dubai International and Listed Scurry Stakes, he is now trying to land the biggest race of his career.

Returning over six furlongs at Meydan in January off the back of a break he finished a good second to stablemate Man Of Promise.

Dropped to his preferred 5f for this event he has the leading form in the race and has to go close.

Another nice event on the afternoon is the Group Three Nad Al Sheba over 1m6f and although the favourite Manobo looks solid, we want to take a chance on a bigger priced runner.

The David Simcock trained Rodrigo Diaz has a big each way chance at 9/1 with Jamie Spencer over in Dubai for the ride.

A thorough stayer, the son of Golden Horn finished a tight second on seasonal debut before getting off the mark over 12f in a Doncaster Handicap.

He then finished a narrow third at Kempton over the same trip, but when upped to two miles at Newbury found more improvement to finish second.

Up into Grade Three company he had to settle for second behind the highly talented Hukum in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

Rodrigo Diaz was last seen in the Group Two Doncaster Cup finishing fourth behind Stradivarius with the trip looking too far, but now backed to his preferred 1m6f on ground he enjoys, he should be in the frame.

The final event of the afternoon sees the one mile Handicap and with a decent sized field going to post we have picked out two at each way prices.

The first is the David Simcock trained Bless Him, who is now aged eight but still retains some decent ability especially in handicap company.

This year he has been seen three times, finishing a fair second at Newcastle in a Conditions Stakes and then next time out went to Meydan and ran no race.

Dropping back to mile last time out he put up a much better run when sixth of 13 in a Group Two and now down another 2lb in the handicap to a mark of 97, he can be competitive.

Bless Him is now down to the same mark he was last seen winning at Ascot on similar ground.

Plenty in his favour to go well.

At an even bigger price is the Shadwell owned Moqtarreb who is a big price of 22/1 but we believe if he bounces back to form he can hit a place at a double figure price.

Running at Meydan for the most part of his career he handles the mile track extremely well and on his last two runs he has put up some credible efforts.

At the start of January he was a good second of 14 in a Conditions event, sandwiching the Godolphin owned Path Of Thunder and La Barrosa.

With that strong form he was last seen finishing fifth in the Group Two Zabeel Mile and dropping back into a handicap makes him dangerous in this.

Big player.