Escape the British mediocrity with red-hot Desert action....

Racing fans wishing to escape the mediocrity of the British National Hunt season prior to the Cheltenham Festival are in for a treat of sublime proportions on Thursday evening as the Dubai Carnival at Meydan overflows with top-class action.

The highlight of a mouthwatering card is the second leg of the G3 Al Maktoum Challenge at 1810 (GMT), a contest that sees the eagerly-awaited Tapeta debut of Mike De Kock's World Cup contender Bold Silvano (SAf). Not seen in public since his victory in the GI Durban July at Greyville in his South African homeland 187 days ago, he is apparently working well in the Desert with his trainer reporting on his website that, "Bold Silvano is where we want him to be, well on target and still impressive. He makes the move to the all weather and he's short of his best, I'd say 85% ready-but we're expecting a big run."

The son of Silvano (Ger) was honoured as Horse of the Year after defeating stable-mate Irish Flame (SAf) at Greyville, a performance that prompted jockey Anthony Delpech to hail him superior to Vengeance of Rain (Nz), the winner of the 2007 G1 Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba.

Destined to go to post a short-priced favourite, there is no shortage of challengers ready to dent his lofty reputation if De Kock's stable star does not turn up with his A-Game in tow.

I was overly keen on Marco Botti's Gitano Hernando (GB) for last year's World Cup (see previous post: here) but he was never really in the race under Kieren Fallon despite finishing less than 2 lengths adrift of Gloria De Campeao (Brz). Botti has taken a different tact with Team Valor's charge this year, shipping him to Dubai early in order to better acclimatise the colt for a tilt at the £10 million prize.

Reportedly cherry ripe for this reappearance, a further change in tactic from Botti and Valor comes in the form of Hong Kong-based big-race jockey Weichong Marwing, who partnered Asiatic Boy (Arg) to victory in the UAE Derby in 2007. South African-born Marwing will partner the five-year-old for the first time in Thursday's 9.5 furlong event.

Other notable contenders for the G2 event include last year's shock 40/1 G1 Dubai Duty Free victor Al Shemali (GB). Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute and third in the 2007 Dante won by Authorized (Ire), the chestnut swapped Freemason Lodge for Godolphin at the end of his Classic season and after a disappointing time in the Royal Blue for Saeed bin Suroor, was transferred into the care of UAE based Mubarak bin Shafya, before heading to Ali Rashid Al Raihe prior to last year's carnival. The seven-year-old returns to the scene of his finest hour some 263 days after a spirited third to Lizard's Desire (SAf) and Gloria De Campeao (Brz) in the G1 Singapore International at Kranji in May.

There may be no horses of the calibre of Workforce (GB) in the line-up, but in Interaction (Arg) we have the 2009 Argentine Horse of the Year, and winner of that year's International Grand Prix Carlos Pellegrini - the South American equivalent to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - for former trainer, Buenos Aires based Alfredo Gaitan Dassie.

He was subsequently sent to the tutelage of French maestro Pascal Bary, for whom he has so far managed only one appearance - disappointing in a bog-like Longchamp listed event in September. Unperturbed by that performance, Bary is confident the horse can redeem himself on better ground, and although unproven on a synthetic surface and possibly needing his first run, he should not be discounted from the reckoning.

After landing his 100th Carnival winner last week, Saeed bin Suroor will be hoping for more of the same at this weeks double header and last months comfortable course and distance Handicap victor Spring of Fame (USA) (speed figure 87) is his sole representative here. The ex-Mikael Magnusson five-year-old needs to improve on that, based strictly on the figures, but that is not outside the realms of possibility and as is the case with the majority of the field, he cannot be easily dismissed.

Verdict:
With a distinct lack of pace in the race, there is always the chance of an upset and it is a race to watch with an eye on the future, rather than a meaningful betting proposition. For those inclined to play, it could pay to take a chance on the fitness angle with My Indy (Arg), Spring of Fame and Trois Rois (Fr) all holding a fitness advantage.

I was very keen on Gitano Hernando for last year's event and with a more measured preparation this time around, he has to be in the shake-up come the last Saturday in March. I've had a little nibble in the World Cup ante-post market at 10/1, in the hope that an impressive performance causes his odds to tumble.

Thursday selections (sorry for the unimaginativeness of some)
Race 2 - Roayh (USA)
Race 3 - Mahbooba (Aus)
Race 4 - Telluride (GB)
Race 5 - Alo Pura (GB) - if absent Our Giant (Aus)
Race 6 - Colonial (Ire)
Race 7 - Gitano Hernando (GB)

Good Luck
Hollywood_G