DUBAI Friday 20th February

NOMINATIONS

Race 1, Dirt 1200m, 95+ handicap, $150k
(112) Kildonan(SAf) - de Kock
(112) Lucky Find(SAf) - de Kock
(109) Warsaw(Ire) - de Kock
(106) Diana's Choice(SAf) - de Kock
(106) Frosty Secret(USA) - de Kock
(99) Lipocco(GB) - Brown
(98) Glow Star(SAf) - Brown
(98) Perfect Season(SAf) - Brown
(96) Quicksand(SAf) - de Kock

Race 2, Turf 1300m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(109) Warsaw(Ire) - de Kock
(108) Pointing North(SAf) - Seemar
(107) Rocks Off(Arg) - de Kock
(106) Diana's Choice(SAf) - de Kock
(105) Stubbs Art(Ire) - de Kock
(99) Lipocco(GB) - Brown
(98) Glow Star(SAf) - Brown
(98) Perfect Season(SAf) - Brown
(96) Charlies Island(SAf) - Brown
(95) Grand Emporium(SAf) - Bouresly

Race 3, Dirt 1500m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(107) Brave Tin Soldier(USA) - de Kock
(104) Jet Express(SAf) - Al Raihe
(98) Glow Star(SAf) - Brown
(98) Perfect Season(SAf) - Brown
(96) Hamlool(Aus) - de Kock
(96) Quicksand(SAf) - de Kock
(95) Naples(Aus) - de Kock

Race 4, Turf 2000m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(108) Strategic News(Aus) - Brown
(107) Bound By Honour(SAf) - Brown
(102) Happy Spirit(SAf) - Brown
(102) Mr Brock(SAf) - de Kock
(98) Perfect Season(SAf) - Brown
(96) Bucked Off(SAf) - Brown

Race 5, Turf 1777m, 100+ handicap, $175k
(119) Macarthur(GB) - de Kock
(118) Traffic Guard(USA) - Brown
(112) Bankable(Ire) - de Kock
(112) King's Gambit(SAf) - Brown
(111) King Of Rome(Ire) - de Kock
(108) Strategic News(Aus) - Brown
(107) Rocks Off(Arg) - de Kock
(104) Jet Express(SAf) - Al Raihe
(101) Lion's Blood(SAf) - Brown

Race 6, Turf 1777m, Group 3 Fillies/Mares, $250k
(110) Front House(Ire) - de Kock
(102) Happy Spirit(SAf) - Brown
(100) My Central(Ity) - Brown

PREVIOUS WINNERS of the BALANCHINE (Race 6)
2005: Moon Dazzle(USA) - Geroudis/de Kock
2006: Irridescence(SAf) - Marwing/de Kock
2008: Sun Classique(Aus) - Shea/de Kock

Gets better every week, thanks again Sabre.

front house to win Race 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top stuff SABRE, i always look forward to your Dubai posts, extremely informative. Strategic News is running in race 4 and he is flying so we re hoping he wins whcih should then be enough to get invited to the Duty Free.

All the best Dylan, we need a lift after last week.

DECLARATIONS

Race 1, Turf 1300m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(106) 58.0 Diana's Choice(SAf) - Shea/de Kock
(96) 53.5 Charlies Island(SAf) - Latham/Brown

Race 2, Turf 1300m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(99) 55.0 Lipocco(GB) - Moore/Brown
(95) 53.0 Grand Emporium(SAf) - ???/Bouresly (reserve runner)

Race 3, Dirt 1500m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(107) 58.5 Brave Tin Soldier(USA) - Shea/de Kock
(104) 57.0 Jet Express(SAf) - Ffrench/Al Raihe
(96) 53.5 Hamlool(Aus) - Devlin/de Kock
(96) 53.5 Quicksand(SAf) - Latham/de Kock

Race 4, Turf 2000m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(108) 59.0 Strategic News(Aus) - Moore/Brown

Race 5, Dirt 1200m, 95+ handicap, $150k
(112) 60.0 Lucky Find(SAf) - Moore/de Kock
(109) 58.5 Warsaw(Ire) - Murtagh/de Kock
(106) 57.0 Frosty Secret(USA) - Shea/de Kock

Race 6, Turf 1777m, 100+ handicap, $175k
(119) 60.0 Macarthur(GB) - Shea/de Kock
(112) 57.0 Bankable(Ire) - Murtagh/de Kock
(112) 57.0 King's Gambit(SAf) - Moore/Brown

Race 7, Turf 1777m, Group 3 Fillies/Mares, $250k
(110) 58.5 Front House(Ire) - Shea/de Kock
(102) 58.5 Happy Spirit(SAf) - Moore/Brown
(100) 57.0 My Central(Ity) - Murtagh/Brown

Race 8, Turf 2000m, 95-110 handicap, $120k
(96) 53.5 Bucked Off(SAf) - Egan/Brown

Race 1
7/4F Diana's Choice(SAf)
16/1 Charlies Island(SAf)

Race 2
9/2 Lipocco(GB) - 2nd fav
SP Grand Emporium(SAf) - reserve

Race 3
4/1F Brave Tin Soldier(USA)
16/1 Jet Express(SAf)
16/1 Quicksand(SAf)
40/1 Hamlool(Aus)

Race 4
9/4F Strategic News(Aus)

Race 5
3/1 Warsaw(Ire) - 2nd fav
5/1 Frosty Secret(USA) - 3rd fav
12/1 Lucky Find(SAf)

Race 6
7/2F Bankable(Ire)
9/2 Macarthur(GB) - 2nd fav
11/2 King's Gambit(SAf)

Race 7
11/4JF Front House(Ire)
25/1 Happy Spirit(SAf)
40/1 My Central(Ity)

Race8
7/1 Bucked Off(SAf)

Better night for South African connections; well done!

Report (part 1): Nad Al Sheba, Friday

A NEW chapter was written in the story of trainer Rod Simpson when the ever-popular trainer sent out Balthazaar's Gift - his only thoroughbred representative at the Dubai Carnival - to score in a thrilling finish at Nad Al Sheba.

Simpson's colourful training career has been revived this season at Al Asayl stables in the UAE, where he trains mainly arab horses.

But he got his name on the scoresheet among the thoroughbreds when 5-1 shot Balthazaar's Gift got up on the line to win the second of Friday's two 61/2f turf handicaps.

Having been denied a run on at least three occasions, the former Luca Cumani-trained six-year-old - who was ridden by Richard Mullen in place of the injured Daragh O'Donohoe - thrust his head between horses to nab Grantley Adams.

The margin was a short-head, with Johnny Murtagh flashing home for third on short-priced favourite Dohasa a further head behind.

Once the result of the photo was announced, an ecstatic Simpson said: "Richard has given him a great ride and I have no idea how he managed to get out. The plan had been to swing wide but he could never get there.

"Daragh was unlucky on this horse last time and it is brilliant for us - we only have a handful of thoroughbreds and this is our only carnival one.

"That's 21 winners this season - my first at AlAsayl - and we could not be more pleased."

Mullen was then denied a quick double on David Simcock's Noble Citizen on whom he tried to make all in the 71/2f dirt handicap, only to be denied close home by Richard Hills on Snaafy.

Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, Snaafy had beaten the same horse into second two weeks previously over 7f.

"He is improving and will probably be better over even further," said Hills. "He is lightly raced and can hopefully be a nice horse for next year, whatever else he achieves now."

Mullen did complete his double in the very next race, a 1m2f turf handicap in which the Satish Seemar-trained Pompeyano made a winning local debut at 20-1.

Again, Mullen got his mount home by a short-head, with the fast-finishing Strategic News taking second.

Mullen said: "He has battled very bravely when challenged and can hopefully improve from that."

William Buick broke his carnival duck when he partnered former William Haggas-trained Charlie Cool to take the concluding 1m2f handicap for Dhruba Selvaratnam

Bankable so impressive for new trainer De Kock


Report (part 2): Nad Al Sheba, Friday

BANKABLE unleashed a tremendous burst of speed to score on his debut for Mike De Kock, looking a likely type for the Dubai Duty Free with a comfortablesuccess in a hot-looking 1m1f handicap on Friday at Nad Al Sheba.

Having endured such a frustrating run of second places last term for former trainer Luca Cumani, the five-year-old swamped a quality field inside the final furlong to finally regain the winning thread in impressive fashion.

Sent off 11-4 favourite, Bankable was settled towards the rear by Johnny Murtagh before showing a thrilling turn off foot inside the final furlong to score readily from Emmrooz.

"He is a horse we like and has a lot of ability," said De Kock, completing a double after the victory of Diana's Choice in the opener.

"Johnny has given him a great ride and we hope he is a World Cup night contender - as well as Macarthur who ran well in behind over a trip on the short side."

Murtagh went on to complete a quickfire double when My Central caused a 33-1 upset in the evening's feature race, the Group 3 Balanchine over 1m1f for fillies and mares.

The Herman Brown-trained five-year-old got the better of Front House close home after being produced from well back - comprehensively overturning the form from the Group 3 Cape Verdi two weeks previously, where Deem had beaten Front House, with My Central back in seventh.

Saudi Arabia's Deem attempted to repeat that all-the-way victory in the 1m1m event but had to give best halfway down the straight afterFront House tackled her, only for My Central to claim the race from the rear. Stablemate Happy Spirit took third in a South African 1-2-3.

Brown said: "We knew the extra distance would suit both our fillies but I probably was not expecting a first and third and we thought Happy Spirit was our best hope. Johnny is a great deputy, though, and has timed that to perfection."

Well-fancied Japanese filly Black Emblem was going nicely when seemingly breaking down after turning for home.

After suffering a rare carnival blank on Thursday, Mike De Kock wasted no time hitting the mark on Friday as 13-8 favourite Diana's Choice took the opening 61/2f turf handicap.

Produced by Kevin Shea just after turning for home, the South African filly shot a couple of lengths clear two furlongs out and was always holding the late challenge of Munaddam.

"She is a nice filly with plenty of speed," commented Shea. "I was able to sit behind the speed and she quickened when I asked her."

De Kock, meanwhile, said he wasn't too disappointed with UAE Derby winner, who was beaten at odds of 4-9 on Thursday.

"We knew he would need the run badly but we needed to get him on the track," said the trainer.

"He was giving weight away and just tired. World Cup night is a long way off and that is where we are aiming."

Godolphin introduced a nice new recruit in the 6f dirt handicap, won impressively by former US-trained Two Step Salsa, who powered away under Frankie Dettori to beat the useful Star Crowned by three and a half lengths.

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor was pleased: "That was a nice effort and we hoped for a big run as he had shown a lot of speed at home. We will look at his options as he has form over a mile and further, but has a lot of natural speed.