The sprinters take centre stage at Thursday's second meeting of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and the last two winners of World Cup night’s Group 1 Golden Shaheen, Reynaldothewizard and Krypton Factor, clash in the inaugural running of the Listed Dubawi Stakes.
Over the same 1,200m Tapeta course and distance as the Golden Shaheen, nine have been declared and a case can be made for each in a fascinating clash.
Trained by Satish Seemar, Reynaldothewizard won the 2013 renewal of that World Cup night feature from Balmont Mast and 2012 winner Krypton Factor, both in opposition again – as are United Color (fifth) and Kavanagh (sixth).
The victory of Seemar’s stable star in March was a first international Group 1 winner for stable jockey Richard Mullen, who said: “That was a great night in March and the horse is obviously a big favourite of us all.
His work has been good and we have waited for this race as the conditions suit him.”
Krypton Factor, representing Bahraini Fawzi Nass, has not won since his big race success in 2012 but ran well at Meydan last year. Nass said: “He loves that Tapeta surface and 1,200m is ideal for him.
He was an excellent third at Royal Ascot before his European campaign tailed off on soft ground that he does not like. These are more his conditions.”
United Color, a course and distance handicap winner for Dhruba Selvaratnam and Kavanagh, a 1,200m winner on turf for South African Mike De Kock, are both proven Carnival performers.
The same applies to the sole UK runner, 2012 Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint winner Hitchens, trained by David Barron Throw in the progressive course and distance winner Rafeej, trained by the very in-form Musabah Al Muhairi, and three live contenders from Ireland, headed by the aforementioned Balmont Mast, and it looks a crackerjack of a sprint.
The main support races are the trials for the first classics of the season, the UAE 1000 and 2000 Guineas and it would not be a surprise if both 1,400m Tapeta contests are dominated by De Kock and Godolphin.
The strongest of the two races on the evening is the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial and the South African, who won this race last year with subsequent UAE 2000 Guineas and Godolphin Mile winner Soft Falling Rain, saddles both Full Combat and Journeyman.
The Godolphin silks will be carried by both Emirates Flyer, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, and Charlie Appleby’s Safety Check.
Should the big guns not prevail, the Irish challenger, Dolce N Karama, looks the most likely beneficiary.
Trained by Pat Shanahan, he has finished fourth in both career starts to date, most recently in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
Only 10 have been declared for the fillies’ equivalent with De Kock’s pair Magroora and Mag-rooma facing off against Godolphin duo Wedding Ring and Autumn Lily, both trained by Appleby.
