Meydan Thursday Preview - 25/02/21

The first race of the day in the UAE is the big fielded 1m1f handicap on turf and with a huge number of runners heading to post, we have two strong selections.

The first one is the Bright Melody for Charlie Appleby and James Doyle and this four year old has a huge chance off the back of his run in January.

Having ran to a fair standard in England last term, his best run to date came on his seasonal debut for the year when a smart second to stablemate Ya Hayati over 1m2f at Meydan.

He has only gone up 2lb for that run and coming back in trip in this event should suit with the third in his last race since winning next time out.

Our second selection at a bigger price is the Doug Watson trained Gabr who has a big each way chance if backing up his run at Meydan over course and distance.

The Hamdan Al Maktoum owned gelding has plenty of experience at Meydan in these sorts of races and having finished a good second behind the smart Eastern World last time out, makes him a big player off the same mark.

In 2018 some of his best form came to the surface when winning a Listed event at Goodwood off a mark of 106 and running in this event on Thursday off 97 makes him nicely handicapped.

The Listed Meydan Classic over a mile comes next and it sees some classy colts take to the field and Master Of The Seas for Appleby and Buick looks to take all the beating.

The three year old has been seen three times during his career, making his debut in June at Newmarket over seven furlongs and getting off the mark in good style.

He then went into the Group Two Superlative Stakes over the same course and distance and beat a smart field by three lengths.

Trying to keep his unbeaten juvenile record he went to the Curragh for the Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and finished a stellar fourth behind the best of the Irish, that have all since franked the form in the Dewhurst Stakes.

He is the odds on favourite to take this race off the back of those runs and now a year older should be a more mature horse.

The first Group Three event of the day is the Nad Al Sheba Trohpy over 1m6f and we have sided with the Saeed bin Suroor trained Brilliant Light.

The four year old was smart last term in Britain winning two of his four events at Sandown and Wolverhampton and when stepped up in trip to 1m4f in the Old Rowley Mile on his final start he was a credible sixth of 17 runners.

He was given a break and sent to Meydan in January over 1m2f and finished a strong fourth behind Ya Hayati, Bright Melody and Star Safari, with the latter franking the form.

He then improved once more last time out stepped up to 1m4f, finishing third again behind Star Safari and if improving for another two furlong then he looks a big player.

The penultimate event at Meydan on Thursday is the Group Three Dubai Millennium Stakes and the fast improving Star Safari will be tough to beat.

The Charlie Appleby trained son of Sea The Stars made a good impression a year ago in Meydan when winning a decent handicap over 10 furlongs.

He was not seen again since that run until January of this year when a good third of 15 over the same course and distance.

He massively improved for that run last time out when stepped up in trip to 1m4f and gong on to win a 16 runner handicap in staying style.

Although dropping back to 1m2f it sees him step up in class and if continuing on the upgrade will be in the frame.

The final runner of the day comes in the seven furlong Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap and the Doug Watson trained Mutamaasik could have a chance at a nice price.

The five year old was previously with Roger Varian and earlier on in his career showed superb form landing a hat-trick over seven furlongs.

He returned last season in June at Royal Ascot and was a good third of 23 in the Buckingham Palace Handicap, but since then has struggled.

Now with Doug Watson he made his first start for the yard over course and distance at Meydan finishing a fair fifth of 16 in a similar event.

If improving for that run and finding his form of old, then he could out run his odds.