The Ras Al Khor Stakes once again brings together familiar rivals on Friday evening at Meydan Racecourse as last year’s first and second, Marbaan and Mysterious Night, prepare to clash in the Group 3 feature at the Dubai Racing Carnival.
Twelve months after their memorable duel on this same track, the pair return to the 1400-metre contest with both camps hopeful of another strong performance at the iconic Meydan circuit. The race headlines an engaging card that blends established campaigners with progressive contenders from leading international stables.
Mysterious Night has long shown an affinity for Meydan and arrives after a respectable fifth-place effort in the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort. Trainer Charlie Appleby believes the seven-furlong configuration continues to suit the son of Dark Angel.
“Mysterious Night enjoys the seven furlongs at Meydan and he goes into this race in good order,” Appleby explained. “He was caught a little wide in the Al Fahidi Fort and with his draw in stall 13 there’s always the possibility of a similar situation again. But if he can find the right position during the race, he should be right there in the closing stages.”
Across the paddock, trainer Michael Costa saddles last year’s winner Marbaan while also fielding the improving Elnajmm, adding further intrigue to the Ras Al Khor Stakes Meydan contest.
Elnajmm returned from a break with an impressive victory in the Al Fahidi Fort, edging out Chicago Critic in a tight finish that suggested he could play a prominent role once again.
“Elnajmm looks spot on,” Costa said. “Marbaan had a gallop at Meydan last week which was satisfactory, though nothing overly spectacular. Both horses come here with solid chances.”
Chicago Critic, trained by Johnny Murtagh, is another runner capable of making his presence felt. The Irish trainer is still seeking his first training success at Meydan and hopes the consistent gelding can finally provide that milestone.
“He was a bit unlucky last time and was just touched off on the line,” Murtagh said. “He handles the track very well and has been very consistent. He’s in good shape, worked nicely during the week and he’s a tough, genuine horse who enjoys fast ground.”
Adding further depth to the race is the 2024 winner Fort Payne, representing the in-form yard of Nicolas Caullery. After a disappointing effort on dirt in his most recent outing, connections have opted to return to the turf surface where the gelding has previously excelled.
“We considered whether to run on Super Saturday or wait for this race,” explained Marine Henry, assistant to Caullery. “In the end we decided this was the better option, especially as we know Fort Payne performs well on turf.”
The Ras Al Khor Stakes Meydan will also see Dubai Treasure attempt to make an impact against male opposition. The filly, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, finished third in both the Cape Verdi and the Balanchine during her last two appearances.
“She ran a very good race in the Balanchine,” bin Suroor noted. “The nine furlongs stretched her slightly but she kept going to the line. Dropping back to seven furlongs should help her. She’s a tough filly who always tries hard.”
Ras Al Khor Stakes Meydan Heads Strong Carnival Card
While the feature race attracts much of the attention, the supporting programme offers several compelling contests. The evening opens with the Group 2 Mazrat Al Ruwayah for Purebred Arabians, where defending champion Djafar seeks to repeat last year’s success.
Now trained by Doug Watson, the experienced nine-year-old returns after finishing seventh in the Group 1 Mneefah Cup in Riyadh.
“He’s a neat horse who has had a busy career,” Watson said. “The trip in Saudi probably stretched him a bit, but he came back in great condition. Hopefully he can reproduce the sort of performance we saw from him here last year.”
Watson also saddles Arlan in the Emaar Champion Stakes over 2200 metres on dirt. The four-year-old produced a strong runner-up effort in the Listed Jebel Ali Stakes and now arrives at Meydan fully fit after a productive campaign.
Opposition there includes Claymore from the yard of Jane Chapple-Hyam, who tries the dirt surface for the first time. The trainer believes his action could prove well suited to the conditions.
“He has quite a high action and really grabs the ground,” she explained. “The distance should suit him and his rating has dropped slightly, so it looks a favourable opportunity.”
Elsewhere on the programme, joint trainers Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga field a strong team across the evening, including Go Chrome Go in the Emaar Surge Handicap. The veteran performer has overcome significant health challenges to regain competitive form.
“Seeing him back running well again means a lot to everyone in the team,” Olascoaga said. “At one stage it looked like his career might be over, so it’s very satisfying to see him performing again.”
The penultimate race of the night brings together a large field of three-year-olds in the Next Mile By Emaar Conditions event over 1200 metres on dirt, where the speedy Miss Yechance returns to the surface after several promising runs on turf.
Racing at Meydan begins at 5:30pm local time, with the Ras Al Khor Stakes Meydan serving as the highlight of a competitive Dubai Racing Carnival card.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.