Leandrinho set for his Meydan debut aboard Go Chrome Go
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The Brazilian will make his first appearance of the season; Oasis Boy goes to post this Friday in the Dubai Creek Mile Stakes (L)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special for Turf Diario).- The 2025/2026 Dubai Racing Carnival will carry a distinctly South American flavor this Friday. Headlining the contingent, Francisco Leandro will make his official Meydan debut aboard Argentine runner Go Chrome Go (California Chrome) in the Dubai Islands Handicap, where the chestnut trained by Julio Olascoaga returns to action after more than a year on the sidelines. William Pereyra will also pick up a pair of mounts on the card, while fellow Argentine Oasis Boy lines up in one of the day’s feature races, the Dubai Creek Mile S. (L).
The comeback of Go Chrome Go, a multiple stakes winner at La Plata, is among the weekend’s main talking points. Olascoaga sounded pleased with the colt’s preparation: “He’s returning after a long layoff, but his issues are now behind him. He worked very well and we’re delighted to have him back in competition,” the trainer explained. For Leandro, a rider accustomed to racking up statistics in Argentina, it marks a special appearance, even though he has ridden at Meydan before.
Meanwhile, Oasis Boy, another blue-and-white standardbearer based in the UAE, faces a demanding assignment in the Dubai Creek Mile (L), a race in which champion Meshtri (Medaglia d’Oro) will attempt to become the first two-time winner in its history. The Michael Costa trainee returns off a stellar campaign that included his victory in the Al Maktoum Mile (G2), where he defeated Qareeb (Speightstown), whom he will confront once again. The veteran Desert Wisdom (Dubawi), a mainstay of the local circuit, also features among the contenders.
The program will further showcase the return of Heart of Honor (Honor A.P.), one of the standout 3-year-olds on the international scene last season. After an eventful first half of the year—runner-up by a nose in the UAE Derby (G2), fifth in the Preakness (G1), and sixth in the Belmont S. (G1)—the Jamie Osborne trainee comes back to Meydan, the track where he posted his two previous victories.
Now a gelding, he will contest the Nakeel S. (1600m, dirt), a relatively accessible spot to close out the day. “It’s a good place to start, although he will need the run. The best will come later,” Osborne indicated. He will be ridden by Saffie Osborne, returning from injury.
Among his rivals is the classy Galactic Star (Improbable), winner of the Al Bastakiya (L).
The card will also feature two maidens for fillies and colts, respectively, with promising runners from the yards of Charlie Appleby, Jamie Osborne and Julio Olascoaga, the latter represented by Tjareed, a daughter of Yaupon who left an excellent impression in her trial.
The meeting opens with the Bani Yas (G2) for Arabians, where dual G1 winner Mubeed (Mahabb), ridden by Ray Dawson, returns to the fray, while AF Alajaj (AF Albahar) looks to repeat his 2022 success.
With high-profile returns, luxury debuts and strong Argentine representation, Friday’s Meydan card is shaping up as one to watch closely. The unveiling of Francisco Leandro, the comeback of Go Chrome Go, the chances of Oasis Boy and the reappearance of international stars make this opening phase of the Dubai Racing Carnival one of the most compelling on the calendar.
