A bumper nine-race card on Friday is on offer at Meydan ahead of the Dubai World Cup Carnival next week.
The highlight of the card is the Zabeel Trophy, a rated conditions on turf run over 1,600 metres that has drawn four Godolphin runners, including Group 1 campaigners in the UK - One Ruler and La Barrosa.
Charlie Appleby trains both and also has Path Of Thunder, while Saeed bin Suroor sends out Light And Dark, unplaced in a Listed Handicap at Meydan on his last start more than 10 months ago.
One Ruler is the choice of Appleby’s first jockey William Buick while James Doyle is on board La Barrosa, two well-campaigned horses in the UK that appeal most in the 14-runner field.
One Ruler has won twice, including a Group 3 at Newmarket and was sixth behind stable companion Adayar in the Derby.
The four-year-old Dubawi gelding has finished either second or third four times and ran three times in Group 1 company, and was runner up behind Mac Swiney in the Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
La Barrosa won his first two starts, including a Group 3 prize, and ran three times in Group 1 company without success.
One Ruler and La Barrosa remain a class above, with Bhupat Seemar’s Nordic Light under stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea the challenger.
The seven-year-old gelded son of Intello makes his first appearance in 1035 days on what will be his first outing since leaving Appleby for whom he won a turf handicap over 1,800m in February 2019 when owned by Godolphin.
His only subsequent start was on Super Saturday that same year when a distant sixth, on dirt, in the 2,000m Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3.
“Obviously he is coming back from a long break and ideally wants a bit further but he has been working well and this looks the ideal spot to get him going again,” Seemar said.
The Shadwell silks are well represented with five runners saddled by three different trainers.
Dane O’Neill, Shadwell’s retained jockey rides Alfareeq - one of the two runners trained by Musabah Al Muhairi. Antonio Fresu is atop the other, Zainhom.
“Both are in good form and have won on the Meydan turf so we know they like it there but it does look a strong race,” Al Muhairi said.
Doug Watson also saddles a pair of Shadwell runners; Turjomaan will be ridden by Sam Hitchcott with Pat Dobbs electing to partner Hakeem.
“It’s a tough race and both have been off for a while, especially Turjomaan. But they are both going very nicely at home so we hope they can run well,” Watson said.
Erwan Charpy saddles the fifth Shadwell horse Moqtarreb, winner of the 1,600m Listed National Day Cup in Abu Dhabi on his only start for the Frenchman. Adrie de Vries picks up what appears a very good spare ride.
“We have a nice draw in what looks a very tough and competitive race,” Charpy said. “He is working well so we are hoping for a big run.”
Among the remainder, Salem bin Ghadayer saddles both Quip, the mount of Royston Ffrench and Mailshot, preferred by the recently crowned champion jockey of France Mickael Barzalona.
