Meydan Thursday Preview - 18/02/21

The Meydan card on Thursday kicks off with a mile handicap on the dirt and the horse that takes the eye is the Saeed bin Suroor trained Bright Start.

This four year old looks one of the more likely winners of this event if running to form having won on his first start this year last time out.

Having ran to a fair level on the flat in Britain last year, he was given a break and sent to Meydan in January where he was a good winner on the dirt over 9.5f.

He has gone up 7lb for that win, but that should not be enough to stop him having hacked up by close to eight lengths and dropping slightly in trip should see him just as good.

We get straight into the top class racing on the card in the second event of the day and it sees a Group Two over five furlongs, with plenty of familiar sprinters on show.

The horse we are backing is the Charles Hills trained Equilateral and he has been consistent most of the time, with the geldings best run of last season came behind stablemate Battaash in the Group One King's Stands Stakes when a close second.

Since then the horse has struggled in similar company, but gave another solid run on his final start of the season at Newbury when third in a Group Three.

He seems to favour running in Meydan giving his best efforts of late here, landing a handicap in January on his first run this season, which he also won last term.

Off the back of that run last year he headed into this event, which he does the same this season and having finished a good second, he will want to go one better this time around.

Moving back to the dirt and in the 1m2f Listed Handicap, Dubai Icon for the elusive team of Saeed bin Suroor and Frankie Dettori could be overpriced.

The five year old will have to be better in this event than he has of late, with a slightly patchy record but he has shaped much better than the results show.

Back in February last year he gave his stand out piece of form when second in a decent handicap over 1m2f and if turning that form onto the dirt is on a workable mark only being 2lb higher.

We think it will be a stellar day for Saeed bin Suroor at Meydan and we have sided with him again in the Group Three UAE Oaks with Last Sunset.

The three year old filly gets the mount of Frankie Dettori and that could just be the difference having finished good seconds on her last two starts with other jockeys on board.

Having shown ability in England, she was given a break and sent to Meydan over seven furlongs in January, finishing a good second behind the impressive Soft Whisper, who has since massively upgraded the form.

She was looking to also boost the form, but unfortunately had to settle for second over the same course and distance.

On Thursday she steps up in trip which will be sure to suit and returning to dirt should be another positive for what looks an exciting talent.

The Simon Crisford trained Epic Hero looks an interesting runner in the Group Two Zabeel Mile and with the favourite more exposed we have sided with the younger horse.

The five year old gelding showed decent form in Britain last season finishing second at the Ebor meeting in the Group Three Strensall Stakes on seasonal debut.

Other smart performances throughout the year saw him place at Newmarket in the Group Three Darley Stakes and then again at the same track in the Listed event.

He was seen chasing home Zakouski on his last start that wet on to score at Meydan last week in a competitive Group Two.

Epic Hero also seems to do his best work in Dubai racing at this meeting last year in a Handicap and landing the spoils in taking fashion.

Returning to the same course and distance could make him tough to beat if fresh from his break.

The penultimate event of the afternoon sees the Balanchine over 1m1f for Fillies and Mares and the smart Althiqa for Charlie Appleby will take all the beating.

The four year old had been a superb prospect in Britain, winning on debut at Newmarket and then going on to place and win some superb events.

The filly after her seasonal debut win went to Haydock and finished a good third in a Listed event and she then backed that up when winning in a similar event at Deauville.

After that Listed win she went into Glorious Goodwood full of confidence and was another smart third behind Group One winner One Master in the Oak Tree Stakes.

She headed back to Deauville for more Group Three action was another smart second in heavy ground and followed that up at Doncaster with another second in the Sceptre Fillies' Stakes.

Having not raced since September the consistent filly returned at Meydan in the Group Two Cape Verdi Stakes over a mile and saw off challengers Stylistique and Dubai Love to land the spoils.

Off the back of that she is the worthy favourite and should improve again.

The final event of the afternoon in the UAE is the Al Shindagha Group Three over six furlongs on the dirt and at a big price Behavioural Bias could be a big each way player.

The seven year old is a consistent horse in Dubai running well at both Jebel Ali and Meydan over the last few seasons and on his three runs this year he could enter the frame.

Last time out the gelding gave one of his best runs for some time when a narrow third on his first start at six furlongs since December.

The drop in trip played to his strengths and going back over the same course and distance makes him underrated in the market with is current price.