Front House Faces Tough Challenge

The five-year-old daughter of Saddler’s Wells steps back to nine furlong having won two Grade-2 races before being disappointed in the $5m Dubai Sheema Classic (Group-1) last March and took a long summer break.

Frankie Dettori takes the ride on Alexandros. The five-year-old son of Kingmambo, travelled to the East where he finished a close seventh behind Good Ba Ba in the Group One Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin last December. However, Alexandros enjoyed a lovely season in Dubai from January to March, 2009. He was third behind Gladiatorus in the 1,777m Dubai Duty Free over (Gr-1) last March and recorded two comfortable victories in handicaps, over nine furlongs on February 6 and a mile on January 22.

Alexandros European campaign was also interesting. He posted a comfortable victory in a mile turf conditions race at Nottingham, UK, on November 4, and contested two of the leading mile contests for older horses in the British calendar last year, taking eighth in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 16 and going down by a nose in the Group One Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 16.

The Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor commented: “Alexandros was a bit unlucky not to win the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes last year but I was a little disappointed with his latest run at Hong Kong. He is ready to race and has been working well recently. He will have no problem with the nine-furlong distance and I am hoping to see a nice performance on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, Godolphin has a strong hand in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial with Frozen Power, Black Snowflake, Coeur Loyal and Percusionist.

The choice of the first jockey Frankie Dettori, Frozen Power, showed some good form in Britain and France in 2009. He completed a hat-trick of victories including a comfortable success in a seven-furlong turf Listed race at Deauville on August 28.

The Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: “Frozen Power is a nice colt and he is improving all of the time. He is ready to go and I am looking forward to seeing him run a nice race. I don’t think that he will have a problem with the Tapeta and he looks in good heart.

“Black Snowflake was a nice colt last year but I think that he has improved since then. He has been working well and seven furlongs will suit him well.

“Coeur Loyal is a Grade Three winner on dirt in Chile and he looks a nice horse. He is in good form at the moment and I am looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“Percusionist won his maiden in good style and he is doing very well. I have been pleased with his preparation but he will improve for the race.”

Pick seven competitions are from race two to race eight, double tri-cast competition for races three and four, five and six and seven and eight

hisham@khaleejtimes.com