The opening night of the 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival features an attractive seven-race card that serves as the perfect starting point to a typically fascinating series of meetings due to take place at Meydan over the next three months.
The opening night of the 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival features an attractive seven-race card that serves as the perfect starting point to a typically fascinating series of meetings due to take place at Meydan over the next three months.
Ten Carnival fixtures are programmed, leading up to Dubai World Cup night on March 26, which with its total prizemoney of US$30m, remains the world's richest raceday.
There is great depth to all races on the card this Thursday (tonight, Jan 7), none more so than in the featured G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, in which the Satish Seemar-trained Surfer will attempt back-to-back wins.
Connections have tried something different with the hardy Surfer, coming to this first round fresh from a break. This is a deliberate attempt to ensure their honest campaigner is still firing at his best on Dubai World Cup night.
Richard Mullen, the reigning UAE champion jockey, rides Surfer, who faces 12 rivals, including the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Free Wheeling, the mount of James Doyle.
French-bred Frankyfourfingers, who was one of the 'eye-catchers' of last year's Carnival, is also in the line-up in this 1,600-metre race on dirt, as too is Faulkner, who was responsible for several incredible performances at Meydan 12 months ago.
English trainer Mick Appleby thinks highly of Pearl Nation and has been patiently waiting for this opportunity to campaign in Dubai, while Mike De Kock will send out Prayer For Relief.
The night starts with the Purebred Arabians in their own R1 of the Al Maktoum Challenge, though in their division it ranks as a G1 race.
Bigg N Rich, the mount of Tadhg O'Shea, will attempt a second successive victory in the big race.
Week by week, the list of serious contenders for Dubai World Cup night will grow, and race by race the calibre of horse will grow considerably. Stand by, for another memorable Carnival.
