Call For The Meydan Cavalry

Good Morning/Evening everyone, I hope you are all ready to the return of the flat season today as we start off with the Brocklesby and the day's feature race in England, the Lincoln. The two races mentioned are of course at Doncaster but we also race on the level at Kempton as well as over jumps at Stratford and Uttoxeter. There is only one other meeting in the UK today as Navan stage a good National Hunt card over in Ireland including Baily Green who fell at Cheltenham. However the main meeting is of course at Meydan in Dubai as they stage the yearly World Cup night card including Ruler Of The World who is favourite for the big race.

Last week we found two winners out of two bets but I will say no more about Ladies Are Forever who can go down as an unlucky loser. Roalco De Farges and Ertijaal were the two winners to provide us with a nice double but we will be hoping for a few more winners today!

As always we have a weekly video prepared for you as well as two more preview's of the Flat season as a whole and once again of the Meydan card tonight. Joining the panel for the weekly video and Flat season preview are the usual suspects of myself, @Adamwebb121, @Calummadell and @Mytentoryours. We were privileged to be joined by Andrew Rideout (@thoroughbredAR) once more for the Meydan video, hope you enjoy them!

Flat Season Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3bmkYaQdco

Meydan World Cup Night Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXoJ8y_z7HI

Weekly Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DPWetxR-5c

Link to be added later

Now onto today's selections!

1:45 Meydan - Cavalryman

Our first visit to Meydan today with Cavalryman who looks to make it back to back wins in the Dubai Gold Cup after winning the race last year. He was also victorious here last time out over two furlongs shorter when impressive over a mile and six furlongs, beating Star Empire by five and a half lengths. One argument against him is that he isn't a true stayer although he has won twice over two miles and twice over a mile and six furlongs. Staying power isn't a huge doubt for me and he is clearly more than good enough, so it is Cavalryman who is taken to land the race for the second time in as many years. (5/2)

2:25 Meydan - Giovanni Boldini

We look to notch up a quick double at Meydan with the exciting Giovanni Boldini who was last seen when runner up to Outstrip at the Breeders Cup. There was more than meets the eye that day as he tried to keep in touch with Bobby's Kitten, who went off way too fast and set the fastest sectionals in the history of the race. Both of them suffered from that electric pace and Outstrip was there to pick up the pieces late on but Giovanni Boldini wasn't far away. Before that effort he had won a Dundalk race easily after finishing a good third to Toormore in the National Stakes at The Curragh, which is no bad thing as he is second favourite for the Guineas this year. Giovanni Boldini to make it a hat trick in the race for trainer Aidan O'Brien after victories with Daddy Long Legs and Lines Of Battle. (3/1)

2:40 Doncaster - Tropics

Tropics is widely regarded as a horse to follow and he renews his rivalry with the classy Jack Dexter here today as they both return from winter breaks. As many of you will know I am a big fan of Jack Dexter but there is no doubting that he is better with cut in the ground, for that reason Tropics is preferred today. Last season Tropics improved from a rating of 84 all the way up to his current mark of 116 and he could still be better than that. His most impressive effort last season came in his most recent run in the Benbough Stakes at Ascot when beating Music Master easily by three and a half lengths. The main worry for me as with many horses today is that he must prove he is racefit as he was 7th on his seasonal reappearance last year. We side with Tropics to get his season off to a winning start. (10/3)

3:50 Doncaster - Jack's Revenge

George Baker's Gelding just about gets in the Lincoln this year with only four below him in the weights, but a mark of 95 looks more than workable. You have to back Jack's Revenge with a good temperament as he isn't the easiest horse to win with, on more than one occasion last year he looked the winner before getting other ideas. If he is to win a race this season then this could well be it as he gets his ground and ran nicely off a two pound lower mark at York when finding only Graphic too good. One of the big worries however is that he hasn't got his head in front since July of 2012 but has ran with promise on many occasions. Fergus Sweeney will have his hands full today but Jack's Revenge could finally get his head in front once again. (14/1)

4:35 Navan - Baily Green

As many of you know I thought that it was a simply moronic idea to run Baily Green in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham as it showed when he was taken off his feet. As a result of the fast pace his jumping suffered resulting in him falling at the top of the hill but in truth he always looked uncomfortable. The step up to two and a half miles should be right up his street after a good show in the Kinloch Brae at Thurles in January. He probably should have won that day but for making a mistake at the last before rallying on the run in behind Texas Jack. His only other attempt over this distance this season was when he chased home Sizing Europe at Gowran Park, going down by only a length and three quarters. With Bog Warrior likely to set a good pace we take Baily Green to pick up the spoils and prove his worth over the distance. (10/11) Note that after writing this the prices were released and Baily Green is a shade of odds on, after doing the work I wont delete the entry but I will take the stick if he loses... Gulp!

NAP - Cavalryman
Nb - Giovanni Boldini

Good luck if you have a bet today and as always, happy punting!