Emirates Holidays Handicap – 1m2f Hawker, from the powerful Doug Watson yard, continues to run well and has a course and distance win to his name this season. Murrayfield won well last time out at Meydan but has risen in the weights for that victory. Behind Murrayfield in that race was JINTISH and on the back of a good season to date could reverse that form. Piepowder Court and Emirates Airlines could be contesting the minor honors.

emirates.com Handicap – 1m1f Competitive handicap with a number in with shout. Mears finally won his maiden, beating a useful sort, but has been significantly raised in the weights. Still Life has run well all season and should be thereabouts with conditions to suit. AU COEUR gives Seemar/Mullen the opportunity for a quick fire double on the card. Two good runs this season means the rise in weights should not be an issue. Gavroche was a course and distance winner last season but not really replicated that form this season. Heraldic is a useful sort but normally finds one or two better. Parklife could get into a place if replicates his maiden victory.

Emirates Airline Handicap – 1m Feature race on the card and difficult to see beyond the Godolphin colt REACH HIGH. Making his UAE debut but arrives on the back of some useful form in the UK with two victories from his three runs to date. Ply arrived in the UAE with some good form in the UK having won his last three starts there. However two runs to date in the UAE shown he has yet to adapt to conditions. If does return to his UK form could be the one to give the selection the most to think about. Pilgrims Treasure another with good UK form who has yet to reproduce that in the UAE. Should be capable of getting into a place.

Arabian Adventures Maiden – 1m Despite being a fifteen runner maiden very few look like they have the form to take this. QADIRIYYAH makes his UAE debut having had some reasonable form in the UK over this distance. Will not take a lot of winning. Main danger will come from Jabir whose three maiden runs to date have been at Meydan and tries this distance for the first time.

Emirates A380 Handicap – 7f Treasured Times won his maiden last time out on only his second run to date. Could be thereabouts if appreciated the switch to dirt and step back in distance. HIGH WAVES represents Mike De Kock making his UAE debut. Won his maiden first time of asking over this distance but then disappointed on next two outings when asked to go further. Back to conditions that suit should go close. Strong Chemistry has a course and distance win to his name this season and ran well last time out in a competitive handicap at Meydan. One for the shortlist. Others to consider for the places Galesburg, Prologue and Loures.

Emirates SkyCargo Handicap – 6f Ajwad last three runs have been against some useful sorts. Does not face that quality of opposition today and therefore one for the shortlist. Pinter was a distance winner last time and prior to that ran a good third on this track. KOWAIYESS made a very useful start to his UAE career only going down by a head over 5f. Useful form in the UK, including a distance win, suggests will be one to beat. Alraased should not be far away but is higher rated on the turf. Igloo and Perfect Sense have both been consistent this season, both only one really poor run to their names, and look capable of getting into a place.

Carl Templeton-Smith

Twitter – @northracingclub