15:45 Meydan

Friday 23 December 2022

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:30

Dubai Airports Handicap - Turf

Off time: 15:45 | Winning time: 2m 32.51s

(3)

Celestial Spheres^p³⁰⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 9-11| J: Q Al Busaidi⁽⁵⁾| T: I Mohammed| OR: 90| D

14/1

2 wins from 2 runs this year. Won 7-runner handicap at Abu Dhabi (11.9f, good) by 1¼ lengths from Mudaarab. Off 10 months. Merits consideration.

Form: 5842-11

(5)

Influencer⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-6| J: R Dawson| T: A Bin Harmash| OR: 85

11/1

First run since leaving Simon & Ed Crisford when respectable seventh of 16 in handicap at Abu Dhabi (8f, good) 43 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 45/054-7

(4)

Mudaarab^b,t²⁷⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-5| J: Dane O'Neill| T: A Albadwawi| OR: 84

6/1

11/1, below form seventh of 13 in handicap at Jebel Ali (9.7f). Off 9 months. Back up in trip. First run for yard after leaving E. Charpy. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 8-07277

(10)

Grand Dubai^t¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: A Fresu| T: M Al Mheiri| OR: 83

20/1

20/1, first run since leaving A. Al Rayhi when eighth of 14 in handicap at Meydan (8f) 14 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 04662-8

(1)

Qareeb²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: P J Dobbs| T: D Watson| OR: 80

9/1

Latest win here in November. 17/2, tenth of 12 in handicap at Meydan (10.9f) 28 days ago.

Form: 659410

(8)

Bosphorus^b²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Sandro Paiva| T: B Seemar| OR: 79| C

28/1

Course winner. Ninth of 10 in handicap at Jebel Ali (8f, 16/1) 20 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Others more persuasive.

Form: 2-13059

(2)

Bright Start^p,t⁶⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Louis Steward| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 79

5/1

13/2, ninth of 13 in handicap at Kempton (12f) 66 days ago. Back on career-low mark. Can't be discounted on pick of form.

Form: 0-06909

(11)

Al Nayyir²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 8-10| J: S Hitchcott| T: D Watson| OR: 75

7/2

Winner here in November. Creditable third of 12 in handicap (5/2) at Meydan (10.9f) 28 days ago. Has good chance on pick of form.

Form: 7/4713

(9)

Kanood^t,v³³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: A de Vries| T: F Nass| OR: 75

10/1

13/2, creditable second of 12 in handicap at Meydan (9.4f), running on. Off 11 months. Back up in trip. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 041-U82

(6)

True Accolade¹⁹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: T P O'Shea| T: B Seemar| OR: 78| BF

3/1

Lightly-raced winner. 9/2, good third of 13 in handicap at Sandown (10f, good). Off 6 months. First run for yard after leaving Charlie Appleby. Can give a good account if fully tuned up.

Form: 3123

Non-Runners

(7)

Act Of Wisdom³⁶

Weight: 8-11| Age: 4

T: E Jeanne J: R Mullen

Forecasts

True Accolade (3/1), Al Nayyir (7/2), Bright Start (5/1), Mudaarab (6/1), Act Of Wisdom (7/1), Qareeb (9/1), Kanood (10/1), Influencer (11/1), Celestial Spheres (14/1), Grand Dubai (20/1), Bosphorus (28/1)

AL NAYYIR is just about up to taking this but has little leeway if anything goes wrong. It wouldn't be a surprise if Bright Start made a return to form against some slightly lesser rivals, while True Accolade is unexposed and in the running for some place money at least.