Blown By Wind intrigues in Round 2 of Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan

Most every entrant has something to prove – at least when it comes to actual Dubai World Cup candidacy – in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 on Thursday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

The second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge, a Group 2 worth $293,000 and contested over 1,900 meters on dirt is the feature on a six-race card that includes the Al Rashidiya over about nine furlongs on turf. The Maktoum Challenge Round 2 leads to Round 3 on the March 6 Super Saturday card and the World Cup on March 27. Five horses exit Round 1 of the Al Maktoum Challenge, which was run Jan. 14 -- Thegreatcollection, who was second, Salute the Soldier, who was third, and unplaced Kimbear, Capezzano, and Quip. That race not only is 300 meters shorter than Thursday’s but is run around one turn while Round 2 offers a two-turn test.

Capezzano is the horse with actual World Cup experience, though it wasn’t a good one: After winning Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge, he finished last of 12 in the 2019 World Cup, won for the second year in a row by Thunder Snow. Capezzano is a 7-year-old in decline right now and doesn’t figure to play a major part in Thursday’s proceedings.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

Seven-year-old Thegreatcollection appears to be in meaningfully better form than Capezzano, as does the 6-year-old Salute the Soldier, who finished head and head with him in Round 1, but neither horse is likely to benefit from Thursday’s longer distance and extra turn.

The three most interesting horses in the race are Blown By Wind and the full brothers Dubai Warrior, who is 5, and Mootasadir, a 6-year-old. Both horses are by Dansili out of Mahbooba, by Galileo, both have been campaigned in Europe, and both try dirt for the first time. Mootasadir, trained by Satish Seemar, is a six-time winner over all-weather surfaces in England but hasn’t raced since September 2019, making his younger brother the more appealing contender Thursday. John Gosden trains Dubai Warrior and Frankie Dettori rides him, and like Mootasadir, Dubai Warrior has done his best work over all-weather surfaces rather than turf, leading to hope he can transfer his form to dirt. Dubai Warrior is 6-1-1 from his eight all-weather starts and appears to be a 1 1/4-mile specialist, so Thursday’s trip over about 1 3/16 miles should suit him.

Blown By Wind, from the dangerous barn of trainer Salem bin Ghadayer, already has transitioned from European racing to dirt contests in the United Arab Emirates. Third on Jan. 7 in a Meydan handicap race over 1,600 meters, a race he probably needed after a layoff, Blown By Wind scored an eye-catching four-length victory Jan. 22 in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile. Secret Ambition, runner-up in that race, returned Feb. 4 to win the Group 3 Firebreak at Meydan by nearly four lengths, but the question for Blown By Wind is one of distance as all his top performances to date have come at one mile or shorter.

Five of the seven entrants in the Group 2, $163,000 Al Rashidiya exit the Jan. 21 Singspiel Stakes, which was dominated by Lord Glitters. Lord Glitters, based in Dubai for the first time though third in the 2019 Dubai Turf on the World Cup card, turned in a standout performance last month, blasting home to a three-length victory. He does carry 3.3 pounds more than his last race and gives some weight to his rivals Thursday after racing at level weights in the Singspiel, but a greater concern has to be a bounce following the powerhouse comeback run. Zakouski finished second in the Singspiel, a race he might’ve needed, and should have a chance to reverse the outcome in this meeting.

First post for the card is 9:30 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.