After a couple of runs at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, the Fawzi Nass-trained Prompting heads to Abu Dhabi in the only thoroughbred race in Sunday’s six-race meeting. The Bated Breath gelding finished a creditable third behind Godolphin’s pair Bright Melody and Dubai Mirage in a 90-100 rated turf handicap on February 25 and was unplaced in his last start in a Group 3 Burj Nahar on dirt in the Super Saturday meeting. Returning to the turf, the mount of Adrie de Vries seems to have a good chance to run away with the prize in what promises to be capital thriller over the 1,400-metre distance. Heading the weights are Mukalal and Wasim – who is both owned and trained by Ismail Mohammed. Fernando Jara is atop Wasim, who has four career victories to his name, an initial 1,300m success followed by three wins over 1,400m, twice at the Meydan turf. Sharing the top weight burden with Wasim is Mukalal, trained by Erwan Charpy, the mount of Clement Lecoeuvre and one of three in the race for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid. The owner’s retained jockey, Jim Crowley, has opted to partner Hakeem for Musabbah Al Muhairi, while the Polish rider Szczepan Mazur is booked to ride the owner’s third contender Yalaalil for trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe. As well as Mukalal, Charpy also saddles Cenotaph, a fascinating contender to be ridden by Fabrice Veron. A classy gelding, he has clearly had issues but he could be a surprise package in a wide open contest.
