Meydan Racing Tips: Three to back as the World Cup Carnival continues

Editor
17 February 2018

Saeed bin Suroor has a strong chance with Mountain Hunter

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Another high quality day of racings looks in store at Meydan this afternoon as the Dubai World Cup Carnival continues, and here with his three best bets on the card is our man John Sheeran.

"He should sit a really good trip from the inside gate and have too much for his 11 rivals."

Back Mountain Hunter @ 3.259/4 - 17:25 Meydan

Cruzada can give the jolly something to think about

The 16:50 at Meydan on Saturday is the Group 2 Balanchine for Fillies and Mares over 9f on the turf track. Promising Run is clearly deserving of favouritism as she produced an excellent performance in the Cape Verdi, a good trial for this race historically, when treating the talented Rehana with distain. If she repeats that run, she will be very hard to beat.

However, I have some concerns about her as she can be very keen and it is two and a half years since she backed up a win. She also shoulders a 3lb penalty for that win and in Furia Cruzada she should meet a solid challenge.

Erwin Charpy's six-year-old daughter of Newfoundland ran a solid race when no match for Thunder Snow in Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge on dirt, a race she had actually won last year. I thought she shaped quite well in that race when producing her best work late in the race to be beaten just under six lengths.

Charpy has reported that Furia Cruzada has been working really well on turf in Dubai and on her best form, I don't think there is a lot between the two of them so at the prices I would much rather take a chance on Furia Cruada at 5.04/1 or bigger.

Not such a huge Mountain to climb for Hunter

The 17:25 is also a 9f turf race, this time for the handicappers rated between 95 - 105. For me, Mountain Hunter is clearly the one to beat, he won over a furlong further last time at Meydan from stall 14 and is much better berthed this time around in stall 1. The handicapper took the aggressive stance to raise the animal 5lb for his bloodless defeat of Banksea but I don't think it will be enough to stop Saeed Bin Suroor's charge from following up.

He should sit a really good trip from the inside gate and have too much for his 11 rivals.

Kidmenever rates the biggest danger as I have zero doubt he is well treated off a mark of 105 but he surely is better over further and had easier opportunities than this to go in last year through the carnival and didn't manage to get his head in front. Mountain Hunter rates a solid betting proposition at around the 9/4 mark.

Oh, This looks a decent bet for Hannon team

The nightcap is the 18:00 run over a trip of 7f again on the turf course at Meydan. Oh This Is Us for Richard Hannon looks a solid each-way bet in this field, he is back down to the mark of 105 that he ran a huge race when unlucky not to win on his UAE debut over CD last year. He is perfectly housed in stall 2 and this race should be run to suit.

If he is ready to fire and there is no reason he wouldn't be, he should be capable of going very close considering he was good enough to be 2nd in the Lincoln at Doncaster last year off the same mark.

Hannon has done really well on the turf course in the last couple of years by placing his horses to pick up prize money and I expect him to get hold of the winners cheque in this race today at around the 6.411/2 mark.

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Recommended bets

Back Furia Cruzada @ 5.04/1 or bigger - 16:50 Meydan
Back Mountain Hunter @ 3.259/4 - 17:25 Meydan
Back Oh This Is Us @ 6.411/2 or bigger - 18:00 Meydan