Meydan Thursday Preview - 28/01/21

Moving onto the turf and it sees a Listed event over 1m2f and although Godolphin have eight of the 15 runners we are siding with Majestic Mumbo for trainer Mike De Kock.

The six year old ran well in a couple of Group Two events at the track last season over 1m1f and having not been seen since March should be fresh dropping down in trip.

The gelding timed his run too late when a five lengths fourth behind Star Safari last time out over this course and distance, and now 7lbs better off with that horse, if ridden prominently could potentially be hard to catch at a double figure price.

The feature event of the day in Dubai is the Group Two Cape Verdi over a mile on the turf and the horse that takes the eye is the filly Stunning Beauty.

The Saeed bin Suroor trained four year old has been seen on two occasions during her career and is currently unbeaten after landed both her events at Newmarket and Leicester.

Stunning Beauty made her debut last season in July at Newmarket over a mile on good ground and was an emphatic winner of a Class 4 Novice Stakes.

She then went to Leicester in August for a similar event and again made a mockery of the field landing the race by close to eight lengths.

Frankie Dettori takes the ride for this step up in class and if staying on an upward curve looks the one to be on.

The Listed UAE 1000 Guineas sees a decent field go to post for the Listed event on the dirt and favourite Soft Whisper is hard not to like.

Saeed bin Suroor and Frankie Dettori team up again for this event and this three year old filly has just gone from strength to strength over the last year.

Having finished second on her first two starts at Salisbury and Leicester last season, she final got off the mark at the third time of asking, on her first run over a mile.

She backed that run up at Pontefract in September, again over a mile and won nicely again, before she landed the hat-trick last time out on her first run at Meydan.

That came over seven furlongs but her best trip seems to be over a mile and although stepping up to a Listed event looks the one to beat on form.

The final event of the day at Meydan sees a big fielded Handicap over a mile and with that in mind we have two selections, both at an each way price.

The first is the Charlie Appleby trained Key Victory who will be looking to bounce back to form after putting in a below par run at Haydock last time out.

However, before the the six year old had been showing some smart form over course and distance at Meydan, winning three starts ago in a similar race to this and then backing that up with a decent fifth.

He is now only 2lb higher than he was for his win at the track a year ago and on paper looks the most likely winner.

At a much bigger price is the Hamdan Al Maktoum owned Zainhom, that although is 16/1 to land the event actually offers some of the best form over a mile.

In February last year the gelding finished a four lengths fifth of seven over this C&D in Group Two company and if finding that form is a live player.

Last time out the seven year old was a close third of 13 over seven furlongs at the track and now stepping up in trip is a big each way contender again.