DUBAI Thursday 12th Feb

Well I'm glad not everyone thinks I am seeing things!

Well at 9/10 JJ and 25/1 Narc, not sure everyone agrees?

David Thiselton
Champion sprinter JJ The Jetplane makes his international debut on the dirt in Dubai this evening and trainer Mike de Kock is very happy with his preparation.
The star South African-bred sprinter will contest the Inside Out Trophy - 7.30 pm SA time - a conditions race over 1100m at Nad Al Sheba.
“He is very well and the surface is the only concern,” said de Kock of the four-year-old Jet Master gelding. “He did win easily on the Vaal sand on debut, but that surface is very different to this and the way they race on this surface is different as well. But I’m very happy with his well-being. He is flying along and I’m confident he will still improve a fair bit. He’s grown up and matured and is getting better day by day. The time off has done him a world of good. He is drawn on the right side and how he performs against Star Crowned, who finished third in the World Cup night sprint (Dubai Golden Shaheen) last year, will give us a good indication of just how good he is.”
Former South African sand champion, the Herman Brown-trained Narc, is also in the race and J J, carrying top weight of 59kg, must give him 5,5kg.
It is an indication of J J’s class that de Kock said, “If I was worried about Narc we would be in trouble.”
Herman Brown confirmed this, “It will be very difficult for Narc unless J J doesn’t act on the sand and I would say he only has a possible place chance.”
De Kock was bullish about the chances of Rocks Off, who runs in the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas over 1600m on dirt.
Rocks Off finished fifth in his Carnival debut over 1400m on the dirt three weeks ago, beaten by four other horses he faces tonight including stable companion Blues And Rock.
However, de Kock said, “You can expect major improvement from Rocks Off. He is generally about 6 lbs better off with the horses who beat him and can improve by the lengths he was beaten too. He was very unfit going into that last race and when a horse gets fatigued on the dirt he fades quickly. It is a strong field and I give him a definite each way chance. He should be good price in this field and will be a great place bet.”
De Kock termed Blues And Rock a “trier” but did not mention him in the same light as Rocks Off.
The horse that won Rocks Off’s previous race was Desert Party, a Godolphin horse that was purchased at a two-year-old in training sale for US$2,1 million, and Rocks Off is only 0,5kg better off with him for a 6,75 length beating.
Goldolphin also have two other top horses in the race, Regal Ransom, who finished second to Desert Party in that previous race, and Vineyard Haven, who is the highest rated horse in the race on 115.
Herman Brown runs Redding Colliery in the race.
He finished third to Desert Party in that aforementioned 1400m race and Brown said, “He is going well and is a good little horse, but it is a very strong field. With the three Goldolphin horses in the lineup the race represents the best two-year-old form in America.”
The other runner on the night de Kock was confident would have a winning chance was Warsaw, who runs in the first race, the Gnads4u over 1400m on the dirt.
“He ran a good race here on his Dubai debut on turf last week,” he said. “He has won on the all weather in England and I think he only has one horse to beat tonight, Green Coast.”
De Kock mentioned some of his other runners on the night, saying, “Mr Brock will need the run. Naples should improve but it remains to be seen whether he has the class to compete here. I am giving Art Of War a tough program but that is the nature of the Carnival – there are only four racemeetings left until World Cup night. He is doing well but lacks real class.”
De Kock was pleased with the performance of Imbongi last week and was hoping he would qualify for the Dubai Duty Free.
However, he intimated that his top horses, Eagle Mountain and Archipenko, would also be going for the Duty Free.
He said, “Imbongi is a very good horse, make no mistake, but to beat European horses of that class at level weights is not going to be easy.”
Brown has five runners tonight and besides those mentioned said that Oracle West is fit and would be better for his previous outing.
He said that Strategic News is doing very well and has him earmarked for a race next week.
Strategic News has not qualified for World Cup night yet and Brown was undecided whether he would target him for the Duty Free (over 1777m) or the Sheema Classic (2400m).

9/20 FOR JJ is a poor show!!!!!!!!

First blood to MDK, well done!

Art of War, well done again!

Round 3 to De Kock and Murtgah with Art Of War


MIKE DE KOCK and Saaed Bin Suroor, the two most successful trainers at the Duabi Carnival, went head-to-head in the third race - and it was the South African who came off best as Art Of War routed his rivals in the 1m2f dirt handicap.


After stalking the front-running Mutasallil, Art Of War was sent on by Johnny Murtagh soon after turning for home in a carbon copy of his performance on de Kock's Warsaw in the opener.

The remainder of the field was soon in trouble, among them Frankie Dettori on the favourite Familiar Territory, who finished well adrift in second.



Nad Al Sheba, Thursday

THE former Mark Johnston-trained Yamal kept up Godolphin's purple patch with a cosy victory under a confident Frankie Dettori in the 1m dirt handicap.

Always close to the pace set by Naples, the son of Green Desert avoided the kickback before hitting the front after turning for home and kept on well enough to hold Jonquil, who ran well to be beaten a length in second place for Bahrain.

Yamal, a 9-4 shot, was Saeed Bin Suroor's 11th winner of the 2009 Carnival.

Murtagh takes opener on Warsaw

JOHNNY MURTAGH teamed up with Mike de Kock to take the opener at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday with 100-30 second favourite Warsaw.

Having run on turf only six days previously, the former Ballydoyle colt was always prominent in the 7f handicap on dirt before being sent on after turning for home and keeping on for a decisive near-two-length victory over 25-1 chance Fervent Prince.

Well-fancied Green Coast stayed on well down the outside for third after being shuffled back to last from his inside draw in the early stages.

Warsaw's victory took De Kock on to the five-winner mark for the 2009 Carnival.

Disaster, sad for connections.

Scotia watched the race a few times (PVR) and cannot point fingers. Just a very ordinary run. I cant imagine that the extended break has done him any good.

I hope that all the sprints are not on sand. imo he should run on grass. All the grade ones were on grass. Any opinions?

Evening Al, a bit stuck for words, but after CC and JJ, I have gone of going to the beach again "bloody sand"!

Very disappointing....I think his 120 MR may have caught up to him here as he hasnt competed against this calibre of horse before.....next time you will see an improved run on the grass.Problem for JJ is with such a high MR the races are few and far between ,esp after his long rest..

Hopefully Grecko will give some feedback on how he looked and if he was ready or not.

The only sand I like is beach sand - not made for horses to run on imo. Thats why I try my best to stay away from the vaal meetings. Expect the unexpected on this surface. Put him on grass now that he has had the warm up and he will kill!