The Jebel Ali Stakes Prep (1800m) will be the highlight of this weekend’s racecard at the Jebel Ali Racecourse in Dubai.
Last year’s winner of the Jebel Ali Stakes (1950m), Jutland, and runner-up Mawhub return and will be among the 10 starters for the race.
Jutland is expected to again be in contention on Friday, and despite being well-beaten in his last outing three weeks ago, his most recent run was his first since the summer break.
However, Jutland, who has won seven races for Doug Watson’s Red Stables, will be without stable jockey Pat Dobbs for the first time in 23 races, Dobbs preferring to saddle stable companion Grand Argentier instead.
“It was a tough choice for Pat,” Watson said. “He has enjoyed a lot of success on Jutland, so it must have been hard to choose against him but we all really like Grand Argentier.
“Both will have needed their one run so far this season and should strip a lot fitter this time.
“I would struggle to split them but Jutland is penalised for his big race win in January.
“It looks a decent little race and Farraaj could be hard to beat.”
Trainer Roger Varian rules out several runners for Dubai World Cup Carnival
Farraaj is trained on the Jebel Ali track by Dhruba Selvaratnam for racecourse patron, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and will be having his first start on a dirt-based surface and only his second in the UAE.
His only previous outing for Selvaratnam was in the Group 1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup night, while just over a year ago the gelding was a close sixth in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
Farraaj’s wins include the 2013 Group 3 Winter Derby (2000m) on the all-weather course at England’s Lingfield track but he has to concede weight to all his nine rivals tomorrow and is entitled to need the run having been off since March.
“We are looking at the turf Carnival races with him,” Selvaratnam said. “He is as fit as we can get him at home and this looks a good opportunity to get him back on the track.
“He will certainly improve for the run.”
When Jutland won the Jebel Ali Stakes in January, he was chased home by the Satish Seemar-trained Mawhub who is again a big contender.
Like Jutland, he is a dual course and distance winner, and will be similarly penalised. However, he was well ahead of his rival on their return to action.
Mawhub and apprentice jockey Hector Crouch looked like winning that race, only to be denied by stable companion Farrier, who will be a Meydan runner on Thursday.
Stable jockey Richard Mullen, aboard Farrier then, makes the switch to Mawhub on Friday.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Shadwell organisation’s famous blue and white silks will be carried by both Sefri and Tanfeeth.
Sefri, trained by Erwan Charpy, is the choice of retained jockey Paul Hanagan and was third to Farrier and Mawhub, well in front of Jutland.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport