ITV Racing Tips: Country Grammer to stage Dubai World Cup repeat under Frankie Dettori
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A transitional weekend in the horse racing calendar with the domestic programme on the cusp of a shift to the Flat turf season. It’s the Lincoln next weekend.
The Flat action is on the international stage with the Dubai World Cup the pick of three races from Meydan. Frankie Dettori will bid to repeat last year’s success on the Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer.
At home there is jump racing from Newbury and Kelso. It’s fairly ordinary fayre, save for a Grade 2 mares’ handicap hurdle at Newbury.
ITV will have cameras at all three venues over the course of a long day with the action kicking off on ITV4 at 13:10.
An 18-runner field for this £50,000 prize which on the face of it looks quite competitive. Yet some of these owe their place to last time out victories in pretty moderate maiden hurdles.
There are contenders whose form has a bit more depth, among them Lets Go To Vegas, She has won two out of three over hurdles and her only defeat came at the hands of the smart Kateira. She was all out to win at 3m last time and a return to 2m4f should help.
There aren’t many opportunities to see Japanese horses on British television but there are plenty running at Meydan. The best of them Equinox, Japan’s reigning horse of the year, is the one to beat in this 1m4f contest.
He meets Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance, Mostahdaf, a winner at the Saudi Cup meeting, Irish Derby winner Westover and Shahryar, who won this last year. Japan’s elite horses seem to win wherever they go these days and Equinox can be the country’s latest international superstar.
The stage is set for Frankie Dettori to land his first major international prize of his final year in the saddle. He so nearly managed it in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Country Grammer but could not quite catch Japan’s Panthalassa.
Meydan should suit the horse better as the track is nearer to a US dirt surface and the race is over an extra furlong. That should make all the difference to the Bob Baffert runner who was left with too much to do in Riyadh.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Algiers has been dominant during the Carnival but this is a different level. T O Keynes could snatch a place under Oisin Murphy.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 25th March
13:30 Newbury – 2m3f handicap hurdle
13:50 Kelso – 2m5f handicap hurdle
14:05 Newbury – 2m4f handicap chase
14:25 Kelso – 3m2f handicap hurdle
14:40 Newbury – Grade 2 mares’ novices hurdle
15:00 Kelso – 2m mares novices’ hurdle
15:10 Meydan – Dubai Turf
15:35 Kelso – 3m2f handicap chase
16:00 Meydan – Dubai Sheema Classic
16.35 Meydan – Dubai World Cup
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