Weld's Dubai Prince looks a real class act

RACING:CASAMENTO POWERED to the forefront of next year's classic betting at Doncaster on Saturday, and it will be fascinating to see if Dubai Prince can do something similar in today's Bank Holiday Monday Group Three feature at Leopardstown.

Dubai Prince is another son of Shamardal who carries Sheikh Mohammed’s famous colours and was among the dozen yearlings the Sheikh sent to six Irish trainers last winter.

Casamento is not the only one of that dozen to make a significant impact in 2010, and Dubai Prince already has form from his Gowran debut a month ago that ties in with the Racing Post Trophy winner.

Casamento beat Seville by three parts of a length on Saturday, whereas Dubai Prince beat the Ballydoyle runner by a length at Gowran, where the subsequent winner Obligation was third, and it was 14 lengths back to the fourth.

That represents exceptionally smart maiden form, and today’s JRA Killavullan Stakes represents a step up that Dubai Prince’s trainer, Dermot Weld, has taken before.

In 2003, he supplied Grey Swallow to win this race by such a wide margin he became that year’s Irish champion juvenile. He went on to win the following year’s Irish Derby. The 2004 Killavullan winner, Footstepsinthesand, also became a Guineas winner.

Weld and Aidan O’Brien have three representatives in today’s eight-runner field, and the Ballydoyle trainer is aiming at a ninth success in the race.

However, Johnny Murtagh will be on board David Wachman’s Warning Flag, a dual-Dundalk winner who comfortably beat Park Avenue on his last start.

Ruling made a winning debut at Naas eight days ago where he beat a Weld runner, but Dubai Prince looks a Weld runner of a very different calibre.

Weld and Pat Smullen will also be major players in the Listed Trigo Stakes, where the ultra-consistent Famous Name can secure a sixth victory in nine starts at the Co Dublin track.

The son of Dansili failed again in Group One company on his last start in Canada where the mile trip looked short of his best. Famous Name has already won the Amethyst, Meld and Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown in 2010, and today’s ground and trip should see him regain winning form.

The Coolmore colours are heavily represented in both juvenile maidens, but the Weld-Smullen team could be major stumbling blocks as they have Eva’s Time making her second start in the opener.

This one came up only a short head short of Why at this track in August and that experience could be crucial.

Port Elizabeth is 7lb higher in the ratings for winning a Nursery from Harrison’s Cave at the Curragh on his last start but should still be a significant factor in today’s Nursery.