Pride Of Dubai is set to make his first public appearance for almost eight months after he was included in the nominations for the barrier trials that will be held at Warwick Farm on Thursday.
Pride Of Dubai has not been seen at the races since he took out the 2015 Sires Produce Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Pride Of Dubai stamped himself as one of the most talented two-year-olds in Australia when he took out both the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) during the Autumn Racing Carnival last year.
The Street Cry colt was set for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival, but he was sent to the spelling paddock after he suffered bone bruising to a hind joint.
Pride Of Dubai returned from the spelling paddock in December and he will move one step closer to a return to racing when he contests a barrier trial over 800 metres at Warwick Farm on Thursday morning.
Another Group 1 winner that is set to trial at Warwick Farm on Thursday is Gary Portelli-trained Rebel Dane.
Rebel Dane looked as though he may have been past his best when he failed to fire in both the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) during his autumn campaign last year, but he showed that he still had what it takes to compete at the highest level with a string of impressive performances during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
The son of California Dane ended a lengthy losing streak when he took out the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 19 and he was only narrowly denied by Terravista in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on October 3 before he finished third behind Chautauqua and Srikandi in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 23.
Rebel Dane is set to contest the third barrier trial of the morning over 800 metres with Brenton Avdulla in the saddle and he will likely trial once more before he returns to the races in Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on January 23.
He will then return to Group 1 level in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield on February 13 ahead of a potential return to Sydney for the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) during The Championships.
Other interesting horses set to trial at Warwick Farm on Thursday included Generalife and a host of unraced gallopers.
