Deem tries for second Cape Verdi win

The Cape Verdi S. (UAE-G2), an about one-mile contest for fillies and mares,

is the penultimate event on the all Thoroughbred seven-race card of Meydan

Racecourse's second meeting of the 2011 Dubai International Racing Carnival on

Thursday.

DEEM (Dalakhani) won the 2009 running of the Cape Verdi and will take on 10

rivals in Thursday's edition. The bay lass, who is trained by Jerry Barton, also

scored in 2010 Balanchine S. (UAE-G3) during Meydan's opening year.

"She is in good form and seems to thrive in Dubai," said jockey Olivier Peslier,

who will be aboard in the Cape Verdi. "We have to be

hopeful of a good run and hopefully there will be a decent pace in the race to utilize her stamina."

When Deem won the nine-furlong Balanchine last year, she was chased home by

Godolphin's ASPECTOFLOVE (Danetime), who was also runner-up in that season's Cape Verdi. Aspectoflove

will try her luck once again, having since won twice in England and has

been pleasing her trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, at home.

"She ran well in both her Meydan races last year and we are very

happy with her," bin Suroor said. "She is better racing prominently and we expect her to go close."

There is plenty of other international interest with MY SWEET BABY (Minardi),

who won the 2009 Italian One Thousand Guineas (Ity-G3) and will be representing Fawzi Nass. A half-sister to 2009 Dubai Duty Free

(UAE-G1) winner Gladiatorus,

she will be making her first start for the Bahrain-based Nass.

"She is

a nice mare and we have bought her as a broodmare prospect," Nass explained. "Hopefully we can win

with her. She is a Group 3 winner already and this has always been her

initial target."

South African Group 1 heroine RIVER JETEZ (Jet Master) is an exciting new recruit for

fellow South African Mike De Kock.

"She is seven now but is really pleasing us at home and we are looking

forward to running her," De Kock said. "She has form over a variety of trips so the 1600 meters looks

a good start point."

ANAM CHARA (Soviet Star) represents Ireland, with FOREST CROWN (Royal

Applause [GB]) and KINKY AFRO (Modigliani) from the UK,

and French pair THAI HAKU (Oasis Dream [GB]) and AYUN TARA (Martaline) appearing to give Europe a strong hand.

The main support race on Thursday is the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Trial, an

about seven-furlong all-weather

contest for three-year-olds.

De Kock will saddle ZANZAMAR (Fort Wood), to be ridden by Richard Hills, his first

starter for prominent owner for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al

Maktoum.

Zanzamar's South African form looks good, as he's won one of his three starts

and placed third and fourth in the other two, both Group 1 tests.

"He is a nice

horse and it is great to train for Sheikh Hamdan," De Kock said. "Hopefully we can do well for

him and this is a good start point for Zanzamar for whom the UAE Triple Crown

races are currently the target."

Bin Suroor saddles JANOOD (Medicean), who won his first two starts in the

England before

struggling in two subsequent starts on soft ground.

"He is

working well on the (Tapeta) and is much better than able to show on the

soft ground the last twice," bin Suroor commented. "He should run well."

Stablemate and Sirenia S. (Eng-G3) third SIGNS IN THE SAND (Cape Cross [Ire]) is another to fear, while Godolphin's

second trainer Mahmoud Al Zarooni has three in the race with stable jockey Ahmed

Ajtebi choosing SPLASH POINT (Street Cry [Ire]) over INTROVERT (Iffraaj) (Ryan Moore) and Bridgefield

(Speightstown) (Mickael

Barzalona).