The evergreen stayer Sheikhzayedroad (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to get his sixth season of racing off to a successful start in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan on Thursday. Also successful in the same race on his seasonal debut last year David Simcock's 8-year-old enjoyed a fantastic season in 2016 which culminated in victories in the G2 Doncaster Cup and the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot, accounting for the Roger Charlton trained Quest For More (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) on each occasion. “He seems in good form and won this first time out last season so we know he can go well fresh,” said David Simcock of Richard Mullen's mount. “It does look a strong race this year though and he will certainly come on for the run.”
The presence of the Aga Khan's homebred Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) means Sheikhzayedroad is not the only Group 1 winner in the lineup but despite two victories at the highest level Alain De Royer-Dupre's 5-year-old is still rated a pound below Mohammed Jaber's veteran. Vazirabad was last seen beating Endless Time (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint Cloud in October and given his trainer's fine record with his UAE runners and his winning course form when beating Big Orange (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup last March, he looks sure to be thereabouts. Saeed Bin Suroor saddles both Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Red Galileo (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with the former seemingly boasting the stronger credentials based on her defeat of Almoonqith (Dynaformer) in the G2 Zipping Classic at Sandown, Australia in November. “Beautiful Romance was a good winner in Australia last time,” said Bin Suroor. “She has done well since arriving in Dubai and seems in very good form. Red Galileo is a course and distance winner already this year and should run well but this is a better race.”
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