3 minute read

It's been a good DWC Carnival for Godolphin and that can continue in the 2018 UAE Oaks with red-hot favourite Winter Lightning expected to deliver.

Winter Lightning was a surprise winner of the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial when kicking off her Carnival, beating a then odds-on Rayya by a fine margin over the 1400m journey.

She coped up in trip last time, widening the margin over Rayya at the mile and justifying the market switch with Winter Lightning the odds-on shot on this occasion.

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor won the Oaks in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and with the longer trip tipped to suit Winter Lightning much more so than the speedy Rayya he should add to his haul in the race. Odds are likely to be fairly prohibitive so the Nad Al Sheba Trophy appeals as the betting heat of the night.

There the winner of the last two Dubai Gold Cups in Vazirabad looks sure to be sent out favourite and as one of the world's best performed stayers it's easy enough to see why. He was turned over in this race last year before peaking on World Cup Night, however, and it would be no surprise to see him off his top form resuming from a break again this time around.

A key betting option against him could be the lightly-raced Rare Rhythm.

Rare Rhythm is a six-year-old but a veteran of just seven starts. He has clearly had his share of issues but he may have put them behind him now having gone two for two in 2017 and he turns up here looking a big threat to better performed horses.

He was able to win first up at Royal Ascot in the Duke Of Edinburgh despite having run just one in the best part of two years so he can clearly fire when fresh and his most recent win at York was a clear career best.

There he went to tonight's trip for the first time and he stayed it well. Very well. Repelling the challenge of the well backed favourite Barsanti who went into that race on the back of running second in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That was a muddling run race but the winning performance looks a very strong piece of form and it's certainly good enough to keep Vazirabad on his toes first time out if reproduced tonight.

SUGGESTED BET: Back Rare Rhythm in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy.