Meydan hosts a Group Three trial on Saturday for the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night, won last year by everyone’s favourite Sole Power.
That success aside, he wasn’t his brilliant best last season and, ironically for a horse that’s never won over the distance, his best performance in Europe was probably a two-length defeat by Muhaarar over six furlongs in the July Cup.
This is his seasonal début and it’s very much a prep run for his defence, so he won’t be 100%.
The same applies for Goldream, who in capturing the Group One King’s Stand and Prix de L’abbaye last season claimed Sole Power’s crown as Europe’s top fast-ground five-furlong sprinter.
He is the class horse in the field and, having won on his seasonal bow the past two years, he goes well fresh – though this looks tougher.
Both look vulnerable to race-fit opposition, and JUNGLE CAT might be the one to capitalise.
He wears the primary blue cap of Dubai’s own Godolphin outfit and arrives after an impressive seasonal début win in at the track in handicap company, where he romped home under top-weight to win by 3¾ lengths – watch below.
The concern is that was over six furlongs and this represents a drop in trip, though it’s hard to find further negatives as he looks to have plenty of speed, and connections sound fairly confident.
He has some strong two-year-old form in the book with a neck-second to the all-conquering Muhaarar at York and a second-placed effort in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
His two defeats as a three-year-old came with valid excuses: a failure to stay seven furlongs and a season-ending injury at Ascot, while sandwiched in-between was a strong-looking second to the talented Adaay.
Now four and fully recovered, he has the scope to fulfil the potential of his two-year-old season and 5/1 looks a nice price to go to war with.
1pt win Jungle Cat @5/1, 13:10 Meydan
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