DUBAI Thursday 26th February 2009 - FINAL FIELDS

NOMINATIONS

Race 1 - Turf 1200m, GR3, $200k
120 J J The Jet Plane(SAf) - de Kock
106 Pointing North(SAf) - Seemar
100 Narc(SAf) - Brown
98 Lipocco(GB) - Brown
95 Grand Emporium(SAf) - Bouresly

Race 2 - Turf 2000m, 100+ handicap, $175k
116 Oracle West(SAf) - Brown
115 Traffic Guard(USA) - Brown
112 Biarritz(SAf) - de Kock
111 King Of Rome(Ire) - de Kock
105 Bound By Honour(SAf) - Brown
105 Stubbs Art(Ire) - de Kock
101 Lion's Blood(SAf) - Brown
101 Mr Brock(SAf) - de Kock

Race 3 - Dirt 1800m, 100+ handicap, $175k
115 Traffic Guard(USA) - Brown
108 Art Of War(SAf) - de Kock
106 Brave Tin Soldier(USA) - de Kock
101 Mr Brock(SAf) - de Kock
95 Naples(Aus) - de Kock

Race 4 - Turf 1600m, GR3, $200k
120 Archipenko(USA) - de Kock
112 Biarritz(SAf) - de Kock
112 Hunting Tower(SAf) - de Kock
111 King Of Rome(Ire) - de Kock
110 My Central(Ity) - Brown
106 Brave Tin Soldier(USA) - de Kock
105 Jet(Brz) - Brown
105 Stubbs Art(Ire) - de Kock
101 Lion's Blood(SAf) - Brown

Race 5 - Turf 3200m, Conditions, $175k
119 Macarthur(GB) - de Kock
112 Mourilyan(Ire) - Brown
108 Basaltico(Ire) - Brown

Race 6 - Dirt 1800m, Listed, $250k
93 Fire Sale(Arg) - Brown

JJ back on grass and that's what I will be smoking if he does not act on the surface!

Roses are red, violets are blue, JJ on grass, Scotia too??

Roses are Red Violets are blue, if JJ wins I'll be on ecstasy too!!

Two Group 3 turf races the highlights at Dubai


THURSDAY is the penultimate meeting of the 2009 Dubai Carnival, with only Super Thursday and Dubai World Cup to follow before Nad Al Sheba is demolished and replaced by Meydan for next season.

The UAE Oaks is the feature of Thursday's card but looks likely to be overshadowed by two Group 3 turf races, the Al Quoz Sprint (6f) and Zabeel Mile. Both races divided last year and with the rail out this week, that looks a strong possibility again.

The Rod Simpson-trained Balthazaar's Gift, a winner last Friday, is among those entered in both races while Champion South African sprinter JJ The Jet Plane will revert to turf in the Al Quoz Sprint for Mike de Kock, having failed to act on dirt last time.

Opposition could include the Doug Watson-trained Mutamarres, who won a division of this race last year.

The British and Irish contingent, Intrepid Jack, Judd Street and Dohasa, look guaranteed a run even if the race were not to divide.

The De Kock-trained Group 1 winner Archipenko will head the weights in the Zabeel Mile, in which Godolphin's Tam Lin is another penalised. Summit Surge, for Ger Lyons, will definitely get in, but with 44 entered and a maximum field of 12, a lot will be hoping for a split.

Jalil, winner of the concluding round of the Maktoum Challenge last year, could have his first start for Mubarak Bin Shafya in a 1m1f dirt handicap, in which Traffic Guard, being considered for a World Cup bid, could revert to dirt.

The 2m DRC Gold Cup is a new addition to the programme, and 22 have been entered for the turf marathon, headed by the De Kock-trained Macarthur and Godolphin's Veracity.

The UAE Oaks, on dirt over 1m1f, is a Listed contest and has attracted eight entries, including UAE 1,000 Guineas heroine So Shiny, and Godolphin's Devotee, who flopped in that race but was found to have an irregular heartbeat.

FINAL FIELDS

Race 1 - Turf 1200m, Conditions, $100k
57.0 (98) Lipocco(GB) - ???/Brown (reserve runner)

Race 2 - Turf 1600m, Conditions, $100k
none

Race 3 - Dirt 1800m, 100+ handicap, $175k
60.0 (115) Traffic Guard(USA) - Egan/Brown
57.0 (108) Art Of War(SAf) - Murtagh/de Kock
54.0 (101) Mr Brock(SAf) - Shea/de Kock

Race 4 - Turf 3200m, Conditions, $175k
57.0 (112) Mourilyan(Ire) - Moore/Brown
57.0 (108) Basaltico(Ire) - Murtagh/Brown

Race 5 - Turf 1200m, AL QUOZ SPRINT GR3, $200k
59.5 (120) J J The Jet Plane(SAf) - Shea/de Kock

No previous SAf winners

Race 6 - Dirt 1800m, UAE OAKS Listed, $250k
59.5 (93) Fire Sale(Arg) - Moore/Brown

2006 Winner -> Imperial Ice(SAf) - Shea/Brown

Race 7 - Turf 1600m, ZABEEL MILE GR3, $200k
60.5 (120) Archipenko(USA) - Shea/de Kock
58.0 (112) Biarritz(SAf) - Ffrench/de Kock
59.5 (111) King Of Rome(Ire) - Murtagh/de Kock
57.0 (110) My Central(Ity) - Moore/Brown
58.0 (106) Brave Tin Soldier(USA) - Lemaire/de Kock

2007 Winner -> Kapil(SAf) - Marwing/ de Kock

Race 8 - Turf 2000m, 100+ handicap, $175k
60.0 (116) Oracle West(SAf) - Murtagh/Brown
55.0 (105) Bound By Honour(SAf) - Latham/Brown
53.5 (101) Lion's Blood(SAf) - ???/Brown (reserve runner)

Cheers Sabre, just looking at the prize money!!!!!!!

Yep, crazy stuff! In a $175k race, the winner takes home what...about $100k? At the current rate of 10:1, that's R1m for a handicap!

Is a 1200 up the straight or bend?

Bend Grecko - where did JJ draw?

It will be down the straight, as there is a 1200m straight course

I may well be wrong. With further thought I think all turf races there are around the bend.