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Friday Meydan top horse racing tip: Equilateral seeking Dubai Dash hat-trick

After Thursday's 7/2 winner (advised at 5/1), Tipstrr racing expert Steve Jones shifts his attention to Friday's racing at Meydan, where he expects Equilateral to go well again in the Dubai Dash.

As ever in a big-field, straight-track event, the source of the pace is crucial, and by far the most likely front runner is Ponntos, who is drawn in stall seven and who possesses blistering early speed.
The Czech sprinter doesn't always see out his races strongly, but he certainly makes them all go from the off, as he did when leading the Group 1 King'sStand Stakes at Ascot in the summer.

Friday's very short-priced favourite is Man Of Promise, who is bound to be well supported, given that he is the top-rated sprinter on official figures and he represents the strongest connections around here, the powerful Godolphin operation.

But he is drawn very wide in stall 16 and therefore may find himself racing away from the main action, while all of his success have been achieved over six and seven furlongs, so he could be vulnerable from a speed perspective.

17:30 (Meydan) Equilateral

That brings in Equilateral, who always comes alive when he returns to this venue, so the fact that he ended last season very tamely should be of little concern.

He ended the 2019 season in much the same way, but he still came here after a 124-day break to win the 2020 renewal of this race very impressively, a feat he repeated in identical fashion the following year as well.

He wasn't here at all last year, which meant he was off the track for a lengthy 444 days before showing once again how effective he is when fresh by running fifth of 16 in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Ascot, coming from off the very fast pace set by Ponntos to get within a length of the runner-up in that top-class contest.

In just missing the places, Equilateral finished three places ahead of Friday's short-priced favourite, Man Of Promise, with the pair running on level terms. This time Equilateral receives 3lbs from the favourite and, drawn in stall 10, is positioned a lot closer to Ponntos, the likely source of the pace.

Equilateral boasts a career record when fresh of 1113112615, with the only two occasions he was out of the first three both being in Group 1 company.

Meanwhile, his record over this favoured trip reads 1211, with the only rival to beat him being another course and distance specialist, Waady, and that was in a Group 2 contest three years ago.

Back here fresh for another Listed race, Equilateral deserves the utmost respect, especially after another 121-day break, which should have put him spot-on.

Of the others, Charles Hills' other runner, Khaadem, and Mick Appleby's Raasel both catch the eye, and of the two, Khaadem looks a better option with stall three being perfectly acceptable.

Khaadem has some very decent course form from this time last year, when he finished third of 14 behind today's favourite Man Of Promise in a Listed contest over the longer six-furlong trip, which would have greatly favoured the winner.

The pair ran on level terms but Khaadem receives three pounds today, as well as having won his last three prizes over this minimum trip, the latest being the Group 2 at Goodwood in which he edged-out Raasel.
Four times a winner when fresh, it is likely Khaadem will also be fully primed, together with his stablemate and race specialist, Equilateral, who can extend his unbeaten record in this event to three out of three.

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