Menhoubah, trained by Clive Brittain and ridden by Frankie Dettori, will be flying the flag for Britain in the US$250,000 Melbourne Racing Club UAE Oaks over 1,800 metres at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday evening. 

Thursday sees the continuation of the international partnership between the Dubai Racing Club and Melbourne Racing Club, with the two prestigious racing clubs joining forces for the beginning of the 2004 chapter of this co-operative alliance promoted under the banner of ‘One Event Two Racemeetings’

Initiated in 2002, the alliance between the Melbourne Racing Club and the Dubai Racing Club has proven to be an ongoing success, with annual feature racemeetings exchanged and marketed together by both Clubs on opposite sides of the world.

Brittain’s daughter of Dixieland Band faces seven rivals in the Melbourne Racing Club UAE Oaks, her final outing before she runs in the US$2,000,000 UAE Derby (Gr.II) on March 27th. Menhoubah stayed on well in her Nad Al Sheba debut when finishing just over a length second to Catstar in the UAE 1,000 Guineas on February 7th.

Michael Kinane flies in from Hong Kong for the ‘One Event Two Racemeetings’ and will be aboard the Saud bin Saad-trained Ibda Ae in the Melbourne Racing Club UAE Oaks. Kinane partnered the filly to finish fourth behind Catstar in the UAE 1,000 Guineas. Ryan Moore continues his partnership with the Satish Seemar-trained Festive Style, an impressive six and a half length winner of the Darley Cape Verdi in February.

Seemar also runs Bastikiya, the mount of Kerrin McEvoy, who weakened to finish eighth in her career debut but should have come on for the run.

First season trainer Doug Watson runs three in the UAE Oaks, with the best of them looking to be Pomeranze, who broke her maiden over 1,500 metres on 19th February, Nabtat Saif, ridden by Seb Sanders, finished fourth behind Pomeranze and looks safely held. Watson’s third runner is Screaming Shimaal, Richard Mullen up, who was third behind Pomeranze.

Ted Durcan partners the Mazin Al Kurdi-trained Tamarillo who was a close second to Prince of Denmark in a 1,700 metres conditions race here on February 21st.

Racing kicks off with the US$150,000 One Event Two Racemeetings Handicap over 2,000 metres with the Erwan Charpy-trained Deodatus, Sanders in the saddle, looking for back to back Nad Al Sheba wins. Kinane is aboard the Allan Smith-trained Emteyaz, a course and distance winner in February.

Mick Channon can claim his second win of the Dubai International Racing Carnival with the Durcan-partnered Checkit in the 1,600 metre US$150,000 Crown Towers Melbourne Trophy on the turf. Checkit was a close third on Saturday behind Surveyor in the Jebel Hatta (Gr.III) and is a horse on the way up.

Malcolm Thwaites runs Zirna, sixth behind Right Approach, but will have stripped a lot fitter for the run. Smith and Kinane team up again and this time with the National Day Cup (Listed) winner Baaridd.

Seemar’s Desert Glow can pick up the nomination to Darley Dubai’s Halling by winning the US$130,000 Darley Balanchine Stakes over 1,777 metres on the turf, the final leg of the Darley Distaff Series. Desert Glow is already on seven points following her second place in the first round of the season, a win here would guarantee her the prize.

Other runners in Thursday’s race who have already notched up points are the Peter Brette-trained Naughty Nell, who is on two points, along with Aditiyan Selvaratnam’s Girl Scoud and Rashid Bouresly’s pair Cat Belling and Sail with the Tide who are all on one point.

Jeremy Noseda can get another win on the board with the Dettori-partnered Adiemus in the US$150,000 Visit Victoria – The Place to be Stakes over 2,400 metres on the turf. The Green Desert gelding was a three length winner over 2,000 metres on the turf at the end of February.

Rivals include Gerard Butler’s Compton Bolter, Mark Johnston’s Scott’s View, Stanley Chin up, Geoff Woodruff’s Fantastic Horse and the Paddy Padmanabhan-trained Zurbaran.

Saeed bin Suroor’s Three Graces can follow up his recent win on the Nad Al Sheba turf in the US$150,000 1,300 metres Emirates Airline Cup, though he will have to contend with the Seemar-trained Feet so Fast, who was a comfortable first past the post runner at the end of February but was disqualified. Channon runs Pic Up Sticks, a winner for him over this course and distance on February 28th.

D’Anjou, the John Oxx-trained winner of the Al Fahidi Fort (Gr.III) can complete his final preparation for the US$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile with a win in the US$150,000 Melbourne Racing Club Trophy over 2,200 metres on the turf.