Timeform Dubai SmartPlays: Friday January 20

Dubai / Stephen Molyneux / 20 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Johnny Murtagh rides Dubawi Star.

"John Oxx doesn't travel his horses for the sake of it and Dubawi Star still appeals as being well handicapped..."

Stephen Molyneux's SmartPlays at Meydan's last two meetings have proved very profitable to follow and Timeform's Dubai Handicapper has three more horses to back at Friday's meeting at the track...

Mike de Kock is still to land a blow in the handicaps at Meydan this year but he can rectify that with Mutahadee, who is expected to take plenty of beating in the 12:10. This will be his first start for the yard, having been trained by Tommy Stack in Ireland hitherto, winning on his debut at Dundalk in 2010 before shaping with varying degrees of promise in the face of stiffish tasks on all three of his outings last year. Given de Kock's record at improving horses he inherits from even the best yards around it will come as no surprise to see Mutahadee competing at a higher level in time, in which case he should surely be capable of winning this handicap off a mark of 105.

The minor event at 12:45 contains several familiar sprinters from Britain and Ireland but they will hopefully have to play second fiddle to Reynaldothewizard, who has progressed well for Satish Seemar since coming from America. He won a couple of non-Carnival events last season, before finishing second behind Barbecue Eddie, and he exacted revenge over that one when taking a similar event on his reappearance with plenty of authority. Reynaldothewizard is unexposed at six furlongs, which increasingly looks to be his best trip, and he should get a good tow into the race from his position in stall 1.

Start Right will no doubt be all the rage in the 13:55 after another eye-catching run last time, but followers of the horse are either approaching the proverbial cliff or are over it already and I would prefer to side with Dubawi Star. John Oxx doesn't travel his horses for the sake of it and Dubawi Star still appeals as being well handicapped despite going up 8 lb for his win at Gowran in August. His two subsequent defeats can easily be excused on account of him not staying over 10.7f at Dundalk and he could have more improvement in him at a mile, a trip he's rarely tackled.

Timeform Dubai SmartPlays

Back Mutahadee to win the 12:10
Back Reynaldothewizard to win the 12:45
Back Dubawi Star to win the 13:55

Click HERE to get a free Timeform card for Friday's meeting at Meydan.