Globetrotter Heart of Honor Headlines Top Class Carnival Card
After an eventful season in which he was beaten a nose in the G2 UAE Derby, finish fifth in the G1 Preakness and sixth in the G1 Belmont, Heart of Honor is back at Meydan Racecourse – the scene of his two wins.
Now a gelding, Jamie Osborne’s three-year-old (pictured) takes a significant drop in grade in Friday’s Palm Jebel Ali Conditions race, the finale on the seven race Dubai Racing Carnival card.
“This looks like a good spot to start him back, but he will tighten up for the run,” said Osborne, whose daughter Saffie returns from injury to take the ride. “His main targets come later, so there will be plenty of improvement after this run. But hopefully he’s fit enough to be the one they all have to beat.”
Heart Of Honor’s seven rivals include Listed Al Bastakiya winner Galactic Star, last seen finishing ninth in the UAE Derby, and his Bhupat Seemar stablemate Gray Boss, an impressive winner from a wide draw on his debut two weeks ago.
Read more horse racing stories →Meshtri out to Make History
The card’s official feature is the Listed Dubai Creek Mile (sponsored by Nakheel), race five, in which 2024 winner Meshtri will attempt to make history and become the first horse to win it twice.
Michael Costa’s gelding scaled great heights after his win 12 months ago, going on to beat the re-opposing Qareeb in the G2 Al Maktoum Mile.
“Meshtri is back to his best,” said the trainer, who is currently leading the UAE Championship. “This is a nice starting point for him to kick off from and hopefully he will continue to improve.”
One of the elder statesmen in the field is seven-year-old Desert Wisdom, longtime flagbearer for the Ahmed Al Shemaili team, whose career high came when he was second to Bathrat Leon in the 2022 G2 Godolphin Mile. Ray Dawson will be onboard the chestnut, who finished sixth in this race last season.
“Desert Wisdom obviously lost his form a little bit last year but the year before he was very good around Meydan”, said the jockey. “He’s had a bit of time off and will have to bounce back to his previous form, but a little bit of a break might have done him good.”
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