Having won his last three outings in impressive fashion, all over the same course and distance as the G2 Godolphin Mile, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Tamarkuz was always going to be a well-fancied contender. He is now guaranteed to be sent-off the odds-on favorite, having drawn the most coveted position of all in the full 16-runner field–right on the rail. The chestnut was able to make use of a good draw to lead the way on his last three starts, including when winning the G3 Burj Nahaar and G3 Firebreak S., and looks poised for a repeat scenario Saturday, particularly as most of his main rivals have been drawn wide.
Satish Seemar's Gold City (Ire) was second to Tamarkuz in both aforementioned Group 3 contests and will jump out of gate 10, which is not as bad as his stable companion Surfer, a dual winner at this year's Carnival including in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, who starts from the dreaded post 16. “If any horse deserves a decent draw, it is Surfer,” bemoaned Seemar. “He has been so unlucky with draws so many times. We have to hope but it will be little short of a miracle if he was to win from there.” The trainer added, “With Gold City the draw is less of an issue as he comes from off the pace”.
Another dual winner at Meydan this year is Brendan Powell's Dark Emerald (Ire), who is making his dirt debut this time. The British raider landed a pair of competitive handicaps and filled the runner-up spot in the G2 Zabeel Mile last time out. He will start from gate seven, sandwiched between Salem bin Ghadayer's Frankyfourfingers (Fr), fourth to reigning champion African Story (GB) in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on his latest assignment, and Zayat Stables'Prayer For Relief, having his first start at Meydan. Several foreign raiders find themselves in the same boat, including Quadrivium, representing the same owner-trainer combination as Main Sequence and last seen when sixth in the G3 Fair Grounds H. and William Haggas's Graphic (Ire), who won a conditions race at Wolverhampton on his latest start. He had previously run third in the Listed Stallion Hyde S., Nov. 19 at Kempton, a race won by Jeremy Noseda's Sloane Avenue, with subsequent dual Group winner at Meydan Cladocera (Ger) in second. The former re-opposes here under Frankie Dettori, having been a last-minute scratch in the GI Donn H. Feb. 7, and faces a stiff task from gate 15.
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