CAN MARK ANTONY WEAR THE CROWN
The attraction of Grade I Racing again returns to the land of sand, The United Arab Emirates and more particularly Dubai which will play host to The Desert Stamina Cup Grade I, a real staying test for all horses over 4yo run over the grueling Dubai mile and three quarters circuit on what will be a fast dirt course. With twelve top notch competitors assembled let’s see how they look.
1 – BOTSWANA(KY) – takeall3 – 7/1 – a 5yo son of Smart Strike who has won 3 of his last 4 in scintillating fashion with his only failure, a third, coming on turf. Won at Stakes level over 10 furlongs two starts back by a massive three and a half lengths and repeated the dose last time out over eleven and a half furlongs in allowance company running an SP# of 111. In top form and looking to make it big here.
2 – REMEMBER ALMA(JPN) – usoz – 14/1 – A winner of 5 from 24 who has grown an extra leg since being stepped up to the longer routes. He has run his last 2 allowances over two miles winning one convincingly and finishing second in the other. The only concern for this 4yo son of Alkaased is his lack of Stakes experience let alone the top grade. Will need to pull out something special to win here.
3 – SEATTLE IN AWE(KY) – ks00003 – 14/1 – A 4yo son of Awesome Again who is the least experienced runner in the field with just 11 starts under his belt, for which he has produced 4 wins. The key to those 4 wins are that 3 of them have been in his last three outings including a very impressive Grade II victory over 13 furlongs. He likes to sit just behind midfield and unwind with a lightning burst. There’s a chance he could be a knockout horse here at 14/1. Watch closely.
4 – SEQUESTRATE(JPN) – pedro12 – 13/1 – a 5yo son of Deep Impact who has carved out 9 wins from his 30 starts. Produced a nice speed figure of 107 last start when finishing second over two miles in allowance company. The main concern for him is that his form has been mixed and this is a field where he will be afforded no errors. Take this guy on trust if you’re a follower.
5 – NECK NECK NOSE(KY) – whocares – 8/1 – a 5yo son of Silver Train who’s name may well be a hint to the margins at the end of this event. Is ranked #10 of the dirt long horses and finished a narrow second in Grade II company over this journey two starts back. Has finished in the top 2 in more than 66% of his races, unfortunately more of them were second than first. If he can produce a run like 2 starts back he has to be given some sort of hope.
6 – THIRTY FOUR IN RED(KY) – michaelo – 5/1 – This horse is ranked in the top 3 horses when it comes to dirt long racing and that alone earns him great respect here. The 5yo son of Empire Maker has quietly made his own empire by earning over $1.3 million in prizemoney to date. His last start produced a second placing over this trip in allowance company but it is the two starts before that which really stand out. Both over this distance he won a Grade I and a Grade II event and both with some authority. He can easily add to his bulging bank account here today. Big chance.
7 – CHASE THE SKY(GB) – trotter5 – 4/1 – A lightly raced 6yo who is a very experienced campaigner when it comes to grade one racing. Has the added benefits of master trainer trotter5 as well as jockey Q Cassell ( 176 – 29 – 17 – 26 – 16% ). The fact that he has not been overly convincing at his last two outings, finishing out of the top three both times is a worry but his form prior to that was par excellence, including a win in the Grade I Breeders Bowl Marathon. Although he may deserve to be a little longer than 4/1 a win is not out of the question here.
8 – STEEL KNIGHT(KY) – focusforce – 9/1 – A very consistant horse who absolutely loves this distance with two of his last three being over this trip. A 5yo son of A.P Indy who has a dirt long ranking of 66 which is pretty solid in this event. There’s no reason why he can’t lead this all the way should the tempo give him a soft run in transit. He may look the winner for a long time in the stretch and could hang on.
9 – STRIKING VIKING(ENG) – jdtrot38 – 11/1 – This 5yo son of Beat Hollow has won on no less than fourteen occasions and had a welcome return to the winners circle last time out over two miles at stakes level. Whilst he appears to perform best at the two mile journey he is a lot less tried at this trip and is a bit more of an unknown quantity. One thing we do know is that he can stay all day and will not run out of puff. If he can produce a turn of foot at the right time he is a solid place chance.
10 – MARK ANTONY(KY) – spqr7th – 9/1 – A 4yo Kingmambo colt who is looking to make it 4 wins in a row this Saturday. Has already won 7 races from 14 starts and over $1 million in stakes earnings. His combined winning margin from his last 3 starts is a massive fifteen and a quarter lengths which is amazing at any level, the fact that these races included a Grade I and a Grade II make it even more extraordinary. This guy looks primed for a big race here and the 9/1 odds are very juicy.
11 – MOON OF ENDOR(IRE) – peeps1 – 13/1 – Just seven starts back this 4yo colt was winning a Maiden. Since that time every race he seems to not only get a little bit further in distance but a little bit better in ability too. Won a Stakes event over 11 furlongs two starts ago which was restricted to 4yo’s. Then finished a fading third over the same distance last time out. The fact that he was tiring over 11 furlongs does put a question mark on whether he can run this trip right out. Prefer to see here.
12 – GO THE OX(IRE) – actmonaro – 7/1 – This 5yo son of Holy Roman Emperor is a Grade I winner over 10 furlongs who has been mixing form of late. His last three starts have yielded an eleventh, a first and a tenth and following the law of averages he may turn up as a winner here! His best form does appear to be over shorter trips than this race and the distance is definitely a question mark. Hard to take at 7/1 until he can prove himself a little more.
A race of many chances and one that could easily produce and unexpected winner with so many of these trained and aimed at the $500,000 kitty.
I’ll go for some value and tip 10-6-7-9
Good Luck And Good Punting
BUTCHA