Dubai riches await Chang's Tapestry after smart dirt trial

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Rich Tapestry zipped through a dirt trial with the aim of clearing out the cobwebs before jetting out to Dubai later this week, spacing rivals by a big margin and running an impressive time to boot.

The Michael Chang Chun-wai-trained six-year-old did have 20 ratings points to spare over the next highest-rated runner, but his work at Sha Tin was impressive nonetheless.

Rich Tapestry is a Group Two winner on the turf at Sha Tin, but Chang and regular jockey Olivier Doleuze – who partnered the gelding on Tuesday – believe his best is on the All-Weather Track.

Connections are hoping his form on the Sha Tin dirt – where he won two-from-two at the end of the 2011-12 season – transfers to the tricky Tapeta surface of Meydan. 

Rich Tapestry jets out at the start of March, with his first assignment in Dubai the $US200,000 Group Three Mahab Al Shimaal (1,200m) at the Super Saturday meeting on March 8.

A solid outing should secure a place in the US$2 million Group One Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m), where he would square off against fellow Hong Kong raider Sterling City.

Rich Tapestry will be first up for three months when the first race of his visit rolls around. He had already ripped through a 1,050m heat in fast time a month ago, and this time he was given an even tougher test by Doleuze over 1,200m.

He bounced in front and travelled on the bridle, and when asked to click up a gear at the 350m he responded well – covering his last 400m in 22 seconds flat, with an overall time of 1.10.2s.