Kiaran McLaughlin tries to maintain his good form at this year's Dubai World Cup Carnival with Marking, who lines up in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored By gulfnews.com over six furlongs on dirt on Thursday, February 11.
Time/Date - 20.45hrs local time/Thursday, February 11, 2016
Racecourse/Country - Meydan/UAE
Surface/Distance - Dirt/6f
Kiaran McLaughlin tries to maintain his good form at this year's Dubai World Cup Carnival with Marking, who lines up in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored By gulfnews.com over six furlongs on dirt on Thursday, February 11.
The Godolphin trainer, formerly based in the UAE before returning to the USA, enjoyed two victories with his first runners at Meydan on February 4 when Frosted and Confrontation provided a memorable double in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round Two and the G3 Firebreak Stakes.
Marking, a lightly-raced four-year-old colt, has his fourth career start on Thursday and drops down in class and trip after finishing a staying-on second to American champion sprinter Runhappy in the G1 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs on dirt at Santa Anita, USA, on December 26.
The son of Bernarndini gained comfortable wins on his other outings, taking a mile allowance race at Aqueduct by five and a half lengths on November 4 and scoring over six and a half furlongs on debut in a Belmont Park maiden on September 23, both on dirt.
James Doyle teams up for the first time with Marking, who faces nine rivals and breaks from stall two.
Kiaran McLaughlin commented: "Marking worked really well last week and is a very talented colt.
"We actually thought that he was our best chance of a winner out of the four Godolphin horses that we brought over to Dubai.
"Dropping down to six furlongs is a bit of a question mark but he is so talented that we feel he could run successfully over any trip between six furlongs and a mile and a quarter.
"We decided to start him off this year over six furlongs because he ran so well behind Runhappy over a furlong further.
"We think that he could be a top sprinter and are excited about him."
McLaughlin's two Meydan winners from week five of the Dubai World Cup Carnival will most likely head straight to Dubai World Cup Night on March 26, while Watershed, who was a staying-on third behind Confrontation in the Firebreak Stakes, could run again on Super Saturday (March 5).
The trainer added: "We will have a look at both Round Three of the Al Maktoum Challenge (1m 2f) and the Burj Nahaar (1m) on Super Saturday for Watershed, who finished strongly in the Firebreak Stakes.
"He might want to step up in trip again and Frosted is probably going to go straight to the Dubai World Cup, while Confrontational will head for the Godolphin Mile.
"Frosted came out of his race so well that we had to work him a day earlier than we anticipated because he was so happy."
