Free Wheeling & Emirates Skycargo Among Godolphin Carnival Quartet On Thursday

Free Wheeling and Emirates Skycargo feature among four Godolphin runners for this week's Dubai World Cup Carnival fixture at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, January 28.

Both horses line up in the nine-runner Terrace Brunch At Meydan Racecourse Handicap (21.55hrs local time) over seven furlongs on dirt.

Top-weight Free Wheeling (Saeed bin Suroor/Frederik Tylicki) steps down in class and trip following a disappointing first outing of the year in the mile G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 Presented By Longines Dolce Vita Collection on January 7.

The seven-year-old was an excellent third in the G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored B Meydan Sobha, also over a dirt mile, on Dubai World Cup night last year and enjoyed a comfortable victory in a seven-furlong handicap on Tapeta at Meydan in March, 2014.

Saeed bin Suroor commented: "Free Wheeling was a little disappointing in Round One of the Al Maktoum Challenge but he has come on for that outing.

"He is doing well and has run some good races over this trip in the past."

Four-year-old Emirates Skycargo (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), who has twice won on Polytrack in the UK, also makes his second appearance of the 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival after coming home ninth in a mile turf handicap on January 14.

Charlie Appleby said: "Emirates Skycargo was drawn very wide on his first start of the year and therefore didn't get the best of trips round but he has come out of that race in good form.

"His work on dirt has been nice at home and we wanted to try him on the surface to see if we can open up a few options for the rest of the Carnival."

Charlie Appleby and William Buick team up for Godolphin's other runners on Thursday. Jungle Cat, a dual G2 runner-up in the UK, makes his Dubai World Cup Carnival debut in the 16-runner Shiba At The Meydan Hotel Handicap (19.35hrs) over six furlongs on turf.

Flash Fire was beaten a neck over a mile on his first start of the 2016 campaign at Meydan on January 14 and the four-year-old drops down a furlong for the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort And Spa Handicap (21.20hrs), also on the turf, and has 11 opponents.

Charlie Appleby commented: "Jungle Cat has not run since at Royal Ascot, when he pulled a shoe off in the gates. He put up a good performance at Newbury prior to that run and has done well for a break.

"Flash Fire was just touched off over a mile at Meydan a couple of weeks ago and I was very pleased with his run.

"His best form has been over seven furlongs, so the drop back in trip should suit him and he should be very competitive again."

Meydan also races on Saturday, January 30, and three-year-old colt Blue Creek (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), who made an impressive winning debut in a mile dirt maiden at the course on January 1, goes for another victory over the same course and distance in the Al Naboodah Cargo Trophy Handicap (17.10hrs) against seven rivals.

Charlie Appleby added: "Blue Creek has come out of his race very well and this looks another nice race for him, where he can hopefully learn a bit more and carry on progressing.

"I felt that he doesn't quite have the experience to run in the UAE 2,000 Guineas, where he would be coming up against colts that are far more seasoned.

"He is still a very unfurnished colt and we won't be seeing the best of him until he steps up in trip."