Jebel Ali Trophy (2019) winner and a Gr.1 winner in his native Argentina, 6YO Saltarin hopes to win the 2000m Curlin Handicap which never been won twice. Satish Seemar-trained gelding will be defending his 2018 crown while his biggest threat in the field of nine, Etijaah is hoping to regain the title he won in 2017.
Trained by Doug Watson for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Etijaah also landed The Entisar (Listed) over the same 2000m in December 2017, his seventh and most recent local success. Watson also saddles Galvanize, always held in high regard by his trainer and an easy winner, in December, over 1600m at Meydan on dirt.
Third to Saltarin Dubai five weeks ago was Korean challenger, Dolkong, having his second local outing after he finished sixth in the 1600m Al Maktoum Challenge R1 (Gr.2) a fortnight earlier. Trained by Simon Foster, he should close strongly late under Olivier Doleuze as he looks for his seventh win in what will be his 14th start.
Irish Freedom will hope to improve upon a dismal ninth in his local bow on Jan. 17. The former Brad Cox and Bob Baffert trainee is in the yard of Seemar now and should improve. A return to the form that saw him knocking heads with the likes of Accelerate and City of Light makes him a danger.
Spanish invader Parsifal tries the local dirt for the first time, locally based Key Bid and Very Talented look to return to the winning form they had toward the end of 2018 and versatile veteran Earnshaw complete the field.
Curated from Press Release by ERA