17:35 Meydan

Friday 17 January 2025

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:0017:3518:10

Race 8 - Handicap - Dirt

Off time: 17:35 | Winning time: 1m 24.02s

(2)

Mubakker⁷¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 9-11| J: S Hitchcott| T: D Watson| CD

16/1

C&D winner. 11½ lengths seventh of 12 to Tuz in Al Shindagha Sprint (13/8) at this course (6f), not ideally placed. Off 23 months but he is in top hands.

Form: 112527/

(9)

Castlewarden²⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: T P O'Shea| T: B Seemar| D

2/1

Career best when winning 6-runner minor event at Churchill Downs (7.5f, 186/100). Off 8 months. First run for yard after leaving Brad H. Cox. Makes handicap debut from a stiff-looking mark on the face of it but he's very well bred and has joined a top stable.

Form: 33/11-

(7)

El Nasseeb⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: D Tudhope| T: M Mheiri| C

11/8

Sent off 15/8 and maintained unbeaten record in 6-runner minor event at this course (6f) 42 days ago, easily. Makes handicap debut and there may well be more to come.

Form: 1/1-

(5)

Asad Zabeel⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: S De Sousa| T: M Mheiri| CD

10/1

C&D winner. Two wins from 5 runs last year. 7/1, career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Jebel Ali (7f) 48 days ago. This looks a slightly deeper race.

Form: 8/31691-

(8)

Olzhakhan¹¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: P J Dobbs| T: D Watson

8/1

Two wins from 2 runs last year. Didn't need to improve to win 5-runner minor event at Almaty (8f, good). Off 118 days. First run for yard after leaving Akhmoldin Eduard and not easy to weigh up that form but he's moved to a powerful yard.

Form: 1112/11-

(4)

Meshakel^b,t²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-0| J: X Ziani| T: S Ghadayer| CD

20/1

C&D winner. Good second of 7 in handicap at this course (6f, 16/1) 28 days ago. Nudged up 1 lb.

Form: 714762-

(6)

Action Point¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-10| J: Bernardo Pinheiro| T: S Ghadayer

20/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2023. 22/1, first run since leaving Archie Watson when ninth of 13 in handicap at Meydan (6f, good) 14 days ago.

Form: 05383-9

(3)

Magic Petition^v³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 8-8| J: Connor Beasley| T: Ahmad Bin Harmash| C

14/1

Course winner. Twelve runs since last win in 2023. Second of 8 in minor event (25/1) at this C&D 35 days ago. Assessor given him a major chance.

Form: 600542-

Non-Runners

(1)

Thawban⁶¹

Weight: 8-9| Age: 5

T: M Costa J: R Dawson

Forecasts

El Nasseeb (11/8), Castlewarden (2/1), Thawban (6/1), Olzhakhan (8/1), Asad Zabeel (10/1), Magic Petition (14/1), Mubakker (16/1), Action Point (20/1), Meshakel (20/1)

MAGIC PETITION has just the one win to his name and faces some unexposed rivals but the handicapper has given him a major chance. He's therefore awarded the tentative vote in favour of El Nasseeb and Olzhakhan.