Meydan: Three Best Bets For Thursday

Silver Line – 16:15 Meydan

Silver Line missed the entirety of 2017 through injury, but he was a useful two-year-old, and has showed in two starts since returning from an absence that he retains plenty of ability. He made his return over an inadequate six furlongs last month in a typically-competitive handicap which has worked out well, and showed the benefit of that reappearance when finishing two and a half lengths fifth to Oh This Is Us over this C&D 12 days ago. Stablemate Top Score finished second that day, and Silver Line ran much the same race, held up in the rear from a wide draw and travelling well into the race until hemmed in by that rival over a furlong out, having to wait for a run and staying on well under hands-and-heels riding once in the clear. Both Silver Line and Top Score have better draws today, but now 4 lb better off at the weights with Oh This Is Us and 2 lb with Top Score, Silver Line is fancied to go close here and looks a fair price.

Rare Rhythm – 16:50 Meydan

Vazirabad is a proven Group 1 performer in his native France, and has a good record at this track, too, finishing runner-up in this race last year before recording his second success in the Dubai Gold Cup on his next start. The latter race is likely his main target once again, though, and is probably worth taking on given he was beaten at odds of 5/4-on after a similar lay-off last year. The obvious one to do so with is the Charlie Appleby-trained Rare Rhythm, who won both of his starts in the UK last season, including the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot. However, it was his success in a listed race over this trip at York three weeks later that marked him down as a very smart performer, taking his form to a new level over the longer trip. Rare Rhythm is also likely to be aimed at the Dubai Gold Cup, but Charlie Appleby’s runners are usually ready to roll after a break and, unexposed over staying trips, he is a solid alternative to the shorter-priced Vazirabad.

Baroot – 18:00 Meydan

This is a stronger handicap than the one Baroot won over nine furlongs here 12 days ago, but he was much superior to his rivals that day and, at the age of six, still seems to be improving. As is becoming the norm in these big-field turf handicaps at the Carnival, Godolphin again hold a strong hand with some progressive and interesting handicappers, but given Mike de Kock’s patient approach at the Carnival in recent years, you can expect Baroot to improve again here. Mountain Hunter is a relatively short price given the make-up of this race, especially considering he only took a sideways step from his revised mark when finishing second here 12 days ago. Admittedly, he raced too keenly that day and in turn wasn’t able to go with the winner in the closing stages, but in Baroot he meets a rival who may not have reached his limit yet, and everything points to a big run from Baroot here.