Dubai: Farraaj tries to snap losing streak

In 2011, Farraaj was third behind Wrote in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. Now 7, Farraaj still runs in top-class races, but has not won for 1 1/2 years.

Thursday at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates, Farraaj tries to end a five-race losing streak in the $150,000 Singspiel Stakes at about 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Trained by Dhruba Selvaratnam, Farraaj was fifth in an allowance race at Jebel Ali Racecourse in the UAE last month, his only start of the winter season. Last March, Farraaj was ninth of 10 behind Solow in the $6 million Dubai Turf at Meydan.

Farraaj’s most recent win came at York in the 16-runner John’s Smith Cup at 1 5/16 miles on turf in July 2014. The preceding year, Farraaj was last of 11 behind Game On Dude in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

There are nine runners in the Singspiel Stakes, all of whom made their last start in Europe or the UAE.

Carry On Deryck, a 4-year-old gelding trained for Godolphin Racing by Saeed Bin Suroor, has not raced since finishing fourth in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot last June. Big Baz, a 6-year-old gelding, will have his Dubai debut in the Singspiel, having won consecutive minor stakes in England last fall.

The Singspiel Stakes is preceded on a seven-race program at Meydan on Thursday by the $150,000 Dubawi Stakes at about six furlongs on turf.

The race is led by Muarrab, a 7-year-old gelding who has won four consecutive races and eight of his last nine, most of them handicap or allowance races. Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi for Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai, Muarrab began his career in England in modest races, and has raced at both Meydan and Jebel Ali in the UAE.

Muarrab won the Garhoud Sprint at six furlongs on dirt at Meydan on Dec. 17, his second stakes win.

The Dubawi Stakes has an American influence in the U.S. stakes winners Cool Cowboy and Indianapolis, along with the 10-year-old Reynaldothewizard, who was stakes-placed in the United States in 2010.

Cool Cowboy won the Sophomore Sprint Championship at Mountaineer Park in 2014. He was seventh in the Garhoud Sprint. Indianapolis won the San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita in 2014 when trained by Bob Baffert. A 5-year-old, Indianapolis was fifth in the Garhoud Sprint, his first start in the United Arab Emirates.

Reynaldothewizard won the Dubawi Stakes last year and the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint at Meydan in 2013.