 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 Super Saturday):
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.
The Dubai Super Saturday meeting is a traditional trials day for the Dubai World Cup Day held later in the month and eight races will be simulcast to Hong Kong, four on both the turf and the dirt tracks.
For the races on turf, the 1200m G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint over straight course, 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, and they did split into two groups in this race in 2018. It is a fair course and winners can come from anywhere, thus judging the pace and when to make your move is key to success.
For the 1400m Ras Al Khor, they start half way down the back straight, but have a decent run to the first bend, thus the draw isn’t as imperative as it would be on a sharper track, but like most flat oval tracks, low to middle gates are usually preferred.
For the 2410m G2 Dubai City Of Gold, 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.
The feature turf race of the night, 1800m G1 Jebel Hatta, runners jump from the start of the chute in the back straight and have a long run to the first bend, thus the draw is of little importance. They then move onto a big sweeping bend that takes them into the 450m straight. During the last ten running’s, the average field size has been 11.9, whilst winners have come from high and low, with the average winning barrier being 5.3, which only further illustrates the fairness of the track.
Last year's Jebel Hatta was run on good ground with a field of 14 going to post. FREESCAPE surged forward to take up the running with FINEST SOUND to his outside, whilst URSA MINOR and LAND OF LEGENDS were directly in behind, with the favourite, LORD GLITTERS, assuming his normal position toward the rear of the field. The race was run at no more than a modest gallop, which didn’t help LORD GLITTERS, and very little changed until they entered the straight, where FINEST SOUND laid down a challenge to FREESCAPE, and went by the leader 350m from home. However, just after FINEST SOUND took it up, ALFAREEQ, who had hugged the rail in mid division all the way, laid down the gauntlet on the inside of FINEST SOUND, and hit the front 100m from home to win by 1.25 lengths from FINEST SOUND in second, with URSA MINOR holding on for third, in a time 1.79 seconds slower than standard.
For the dirt races, the 1900m Listed Al Bastakiya, 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, with more emphasis being on speed, as horses who are delivered late can find it difficult to reel in the leaders on the dirt in races not run at a solid tempo.
The 1200m G3 Mahab Al Shimaal, 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 same applies to 1600m G3 Burj Nahaar, where they jump from a dog-leg shaped chute, but again, and I can't emphasis this enough, although the front running bias we once saw at Meydan has improved, horses which can sit close to the front have an advantage in races that aren’t run at a good solid tempo.
Another feature race, the 2000m G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, 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 eight editions of the race with an average field size of 10.5 and the average winning barrier has been 5.5, with winners coming from high and low, thus the draw is of little consequence. However, leaders have dominated with seven of the eight renewals of the race on dirt having led, whilst the other winner stalked the speed, thus speed horses have a distinct advantage.
Last year's Al Maktoum Challenge R3 was run on fast ground with a field of 14 going to post. The favourite, HYPOTHETICAL, jumped smartly from the outside draw and took up the running passing the winning post for the first time, with EVERFAST to his inside, and REMORSE and PREVENT tracking the two leaders, whilst DUBAI ICON was planted wide without cover. As we have seen many times on the dirt, those at the front dominated the race, and whilst it hardly changed complexion, both HYPOTHETICAL and EVERFAST continued to duel on the front. HYPOTHETICAL was eventually able to grab the outright lead, and crossed down to the rail, whilst EVERFAST switched to his outside nearly a length behind as they came into the straight. At this point DUBAI ICON, who had had a tough run, started to struggle, whilst KAFOO loomed up on the outside, with REMORSE taking shortcuts up the inside. However, HYPOTHETICAL was able to open up a 2 length break in the straight, with both EVERFAST and KAFOO struggling to stay with him, but REMORSE still finding plenty for pressure. However, HYPOTHETICAL was game on the front, going on to win by 1 length from REMORSE, with a further 6.5 lengths back to EVERFAST in third, in a time 0.99 seconds slower than standard.
The weather forecast is for mostly clear days with temperatures in the mid 20s to the low 30s until race day. It is unusual to see any sort of significant rain in Dubai at this time of the year. Over the last 10 years, the turf has been rated Good, whilst the dirt has been rated Fast for the last 7 years.
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