Carnival time for Dettori
Today’s opening day of the sixth Dubai Carnival, the last before the bulldozers move in, offers over £300,000 in win prize money.
Total for the meeting which climaxes with the World Cup on March 28, is $31m. In 2010 the show moves to the Sheikh’s new Meydan racecourse.
The Sheikh’s Godolphin operation is straight into action with Iguazu Falls, who won at Epsom on Oaks day, among Frankie Dettori’s mounts.
Mark Johnston spearheads the British challenge with Hearthstead Maison and Love Galore.
Tom Dascombe has his first runner, Clifton Dancer, the mount of Richard Kingscote.
Nicky Henderson was back among the winners after a ten-day break, saddling Optimus Maximus, the giant Mad Max and Zaxamix in the bumper to victories at Newbury.
Optimus Maximus may go for the Fred Winter at Cheltenham, while Mad Max was cut from 10s to 8-1 for the Ballymore Hurdle and is now 16-1 for the Supreme Novices’ at the same meeting.