Classic Hopes On Show At Dubai Duty Free Meeting

Dubai Duty Free returns as title sponsor of Newbury’s important two-day ‘spring trials’ meeting for the fourteenth consecutive year, beginning on Friday, 17 April. The multi-award winning airport retailer is backing no fewer than seven of the fixture’s fourteen scheduled races, highlighted by the £65,000 Dubai Duty Free Stakes, which enjoys Group 3 status and brings together some of the best three-year-old fillies in training over a distance of seven furlongs. This fixture follows a magical night at Nad Al Sheba last month when apprentice jockey Ahmed Ajtebi was the surprise hero with an astonishing double at the celebrated Dubai World Cup meeting. The former camel rider demolished a high class field to win the $5 million Dubai Duty Free on Gladiatorus, and followed that up with a nail biting narrow victory on Eastern Anthem in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Commenting on Dubai Duty Free’s sponsorship, Managing Director Colm McLoughlin, said, "Horseracing continues to play a major role in our sports sponsorship programme and we are delighted to be returning to Newbury in support of the Spring Meeting which is a must see event for those looking for classic race clues.” HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s fancied 2,000 Guineas hope Finjaan will be among several high-profile classic-race candidates on show. A 25-1 chance for next month’s Newmarket showcase, Finjaan has done exceptionally well throughout the winter says his Lambourn trainer, Marcus Tregoning, who is aiming the colt at the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, run over seven furlongs on Saturday, 18 April. "He is as forward as anything I’ve got in the yard and is ready to run," he added. "We worked him over a mile last week and his jockey, Richard Hills, was very pleased with him. If he transmits his work on the gallops to the racecourse, I think he’ll go very well." Her Majesty The Queen’s colt Four Winds, who is 33-1 for the Derby, may be given an entry in the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup Conditions Stakes which features as part of the programme on the opening day of the meeting. Run over seven furlongs, this hugely significant contest, was inaugurated in 1949 as the Fred Darling Stakes, the same year as John Porter Stakes, which is now known as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Stakes, and also has the distinction of being a Group 3 event.