The Dubai World Cup Carnival enters the penultimate week on Thursday when the highlights are the two Group 3 prizes – the Nad Al Sheba Trophy and the Dubai Millennium Stakes.
Godolphin has a quartet in the eight-runner Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan and challenging the might of the royal blues is the Ismail Mohammed-trained Away He Goes.
Away He Goes was placed third in both his carnival starts. On the strength of those runs, the five-year-old Farhh gelding appear to have major claims under Jim Crowley, who was on board when landing a 2,400m handicap at Doncaster on British soil in September.
“He has run very well both times this year over 2,400m and, we hope, the extra 400m is going to be in his favour,” Ismail said.
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby sends out Ispolini, who seeks to provide his trainer a fourth consecutive victory in the race.
“He needed his first run and ran well second time,” Appleby said. “They were both handicaps when he has big weights, so on level weights here, he should be thereabouts in a competitive race.”
Fellow Godolphin handler, Saeed bin Suroor, seeking a fifth win in the race since its inauguration in 2010, saddles a trio with Frankie Dettori choosing Volcanic Sky ahead of Global Heat and Brilliant Light.
The Dubai Millennium Stakes has also attracted eight runners with Godolphin accounting for half of them.
Appleby has entered Star Safari while Bin Suroor has a trio – Bedouin’s Story, Dream Castle and Royal Marine.
Star Safari was third and won next time out in this year’s carnival outing and Appleby is confident of another good run from the five-year-old Sea The Star gelding.
“He ran well on his comeback after 11 months off and won nicely last time,” he said.
“That was only his sixth career start and returning to 2,000m should not be an issue. He goes there in good order and should at least be competitive.”
Dettori is on board the progressive Bedouin’s Story, suggesting he is considered the main hope.
His stable companions, Royal Marine and Dream Castle are both Group 1 winners, the latter over 1,900m on the Meydan turf in the Jebel Hatta.
The six-race card also includes the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 for Purebred Arabians, the prep for the Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night.
The Omani raider Al Roba’A Al Khali was impressive when winning the Gulf Cup for Purebred Arabians at Sharjah and looks one of note as he steps up in class.
Ernst Oartel’s AF Alwajel, along with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s trio in the silks of Yas Racing - Aoun and Brraq trained by Jean-Claude Pecout, and last year’s winner Majed Al Jahouri’s Bandar - are all leading contenders.
