Following the market can prove to be an expensive way of conducting business and it may be the case at Meydan today.
The Listed UAE Oaks has a field of eight with Godolphin's UAE 1000 Guineas winner Siyaadah certain to be favourite. Two weeks ago the filly was a 50-1 shot for the Guineas so which end of the scale is the more accurate reflection of her chances?
Siyaadah had shown little in three turf runs in Britain and so it could be that she is just better suited to the Tapeta track on which she beat Ayun Tara a length in the Guineas. However, the form of that race may not stack up quite that easily. The leaders went off too fast, which set it up for the hold-up horses, but Siyaadah’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, believes that his runner can confirm her performance. “We were very pleased with her win which was a good performance,” he said. “We knew she had improved over the winter and hopefully there is more to come from her.”
There may also be more to come from Bikini Babe. She has two-and-three-quarter lengths to make up on Siyaadah from her run in the Guineas but, as a Montjeu filly (name a top miler that he has sired?) can be expected to improve for the step up in distance.
The Group Three Balanchine Stakes is something of a conundrum. On the bare result of the Cape Verdi Stakes three weeks ago Godolphin's Aspectoflove appears the one to beat as she finished in front of four of her rivals in this race, when a narrow second to Soneva, and the step up in trip should not pose any problems.
Mike de Kock’s Zirconeum, a Group One winner in South Africa, was the heavy favourite for the Cape Verdi but finished only sixth after finding more hold ups than the M25 on a Friday night.
She has good form in South Africa, finishing second in the prestigious Grade One Durban July, and De Kock reckons that Zirconeum could be his best filly since his Dubai Duty Free winner Ipe Tombe. However, he had suggested that she might have needed that run – her first for seven months, having suffered a slight setback. That, a Group One penalty and a trip short of her best seemed to find her out.
Zirconeum again carries a penalty, for her win in the Woolavington 2000 last June, but de Kock said: “She’s a quality filly and has come on a lot for her run. The trip will suit and she should go well.”
The two-mile trip for the DRC Gold Cup appears to be a final roll of the dice for De Kock as he attempts to rekindle the flame within Frozen Fire, after two lacklustre runs at Meydan, but Bin Suroor, who won last year's inaugural running of this race, looks to have the prize at his mercy this year with four runners.
Frankie Dettori rides Age of Reason but it could be Ted Durcan –often the unsung hero of the Godolphin team, who wins this time with Whispering Gallery.
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