Murtagh heading to Dubai Johnny Murtagh and Ryan Moore are among the jockeys invited to take part in the inaugural Meydan Masters competition on March 5. The international jockeys' challenge will be staged at the new Meydan racecourse with the winning riders of the world's 11 premier races of 2009 and one special invitee due to battle for the prize. Moore and Murtagh will be joined by Dubai World Cup-winning rider Aaron Gryder, Kentucky Derby victor Calvin Borel, Japanese star Norihiro Yokoyama, Australian Corey Brown, Olivier Peslier and Zenyatta's rider Mike Smith. Ahmed Ajtebi will also ride in the competition and the now-retired Mick Kinane would have also been able to take part after two qualifying wins on Sea The Stars. St Leger-winning rider Ted Durcan and Christophe Lemaire, who rode Le Havre to victory in the French Derby, will take the two vacant spaces. Meydan board member Malih Lahej Al Basti explained: "With racing now being so international, it is difficult to establish a formula for which jockey should represent which country." "Jockeys now don't necessarily ride full time in their home country. For example, does Frankie Dettori represent Italy, or Darren Beadman and Douglas Whyte, who are so successful in Hong Kong, represent Australia and South Africa respectively? "With the Meydan Masters, these world-class jockeys will represent themselves against their contemporaries from across the globe, those that excelled and triumphed on the biggest stage throughout 2009." The Meydan Masters will be held over four support races on the programme that features the recently upgraded Zabeel Mile, run for the first time in 2010 at Group 2 level. It will close the Carnival and build up to the 10m Dubai World Cup on March 27.
