 Tim Carroll 's Bio | |
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| Tim started off as a jockey in Australia before pursuing a media career. He is a highly experienced and respected racing presenter who has been based in England since 2005. Tim has travelled the world covering many of the major meetings, including Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby, The International meeting from Sha Tin, The Dubai World Cup, The Everest, The Saudi Cup and The Breeders. He is currently a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, specialising in both the local and international scene. Tim is a regular contributor to the At The Races Website where his twice weekly tipping column on Hong Kong racing has gathered a strong following. | |
Meydan Racecourse – Track Analysis (Dubai World Cup Day):
Meydan Racecourse opened in 2010, consists of two left-handed circuits, turf and dirt, with the turf track on the outside. The turf track, which is noted for its large roomy layout and fairness to all runners, is a flat course, 2400m in circumference and approximately 30m in width, with a straight of 450m. There are two chutes, one at the top of the back straight for races held over 1800m to 2000m, and one at that connects to the top of the home straight, which sees all races from 1000m to 1200m held over a straight course. Although the ground conditions are mostly good on race day, the thick lush well maintained Bermuda grass covering means that horses who like a bit of give underfoot tend to enjoy the ground.
The dirt track is 1750m in circumference and approximately 25m in width, with a home straight of 400m. The chute which is located on the back straight and links to the main circuit in a dog-leg shape, which races over 1400m to 1600m are held. The dirt track replaced the tapeta surface in 2014 and it saw a distinct bias to those handy to the speed that made it difficult for those at the back to win. However, it has improved in recent times with different run styles now able to win, but it is considered that front-runners in evenly run races still hold an advantage.
Eight races from Dubai World Cup Day will be simulcast to Hong Kong this year, four on both the turf and the dirt tracks.
For the races on turf, the 3200m Dubai Gold Cup, runner start from the chute used for the straight races. They have a long run down the home straight before meeting the first bend, and the draw is of no consequence. For the 1200m Al Quoz Sprint, low barriers are on the far side with high numbers toward the grandstand rail. They tend to come down the centre of the track on the straight course, but they can also go toward the rail on either side, but rarely hard up against either rail. It is a fair straight course and winners can come from anywhere, thus judging the pace and when to make your move is key to success.
For the 1800m Dubai Turf, they start from the end of a chute just before it joins the back straight and have a long run before the first bend, which affords all horses every opportunity, thus barriers are of little importance. For the 2410m Dubai Sheema Classic, they start just before the winning post and although the first turn comes up quickly, barriers over this trip are of little consequence, although those wanting to push forward would prefer to be drawn low to middle.
For the dirt race, the 1600m Godolphin Mile, where they jump from a dog-leg shaped chute that links up to the back straight, and horses who like to go forward are better drawn middle to low. For the 1900m UAE Derby, runners start from the main straight which close to the winning post and have a short run before heading onto the first turn. Horses who like to go forward will prefer low to middle barriers, but there is no draw bias as such. For the 1200m Dubai Golden Shaheen, runners jump from the back straight and have a decent run before the first turn. Horses who like to go forward are better drawn low to middle, but overall, the draw is of little consequence.
The feature race, 2000m G1 Dubai World Cup, runners jump from half way up the home straight and have a run of approximately 250m to the first bend before turning into the 400m back straight then onto the second bend and into the 400m home straight. Since the dirt was first used in 2015 there have been six editions of the race (not run in 2020 due to pandemic) with winners coming from mostly high draws. PRINCE BISHOP (2015) and ARROGATE (2017) both won coming from the second half of the field, although it’s worth noting that it was a muddy track when ARROGATE won, with the other four winners in that time being on pace runners.
Last year's Dubai World Cup was run on a fast track with a field of 12 going to post. The favourite, MYSTIC GUIDE, jumped smartly from stall 6 and took up a prominent position behind the two leaders, HYPOTHETICAL and CAPEZZANO. His rider, Luis Saez, purposely kept his horse away from the inside fence, allowing the Japanese runner, CHUWA WIZARD, to bag the running rail on his inside. CAPEZZANO came under pressure 800m from home, and MYSTIC GUIDE went by to apply pressure to the leader, HYPOTHETICAL, with SALUTE THE SOLDIER trailing him through, but under a hard ride. On entering the straight, MYSTIC GUIDE quickly picked up HYPOTHEICAL extending away from the others in stylish fashion to win easily by nearly 4 lengths, with CHUWA WIZARD and MAGNY COURS picking up the pieces late to run second and third respectively.
The weather forecast is mostly clear days, with temperatures in the mid to high 20s until race day. Although the 2017 meeting saw rain in the lead up, it is unusual to see anything but fine weather at this time of the year in Dubai, and it is likely that the conditions will be good to fast on the day.
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