Star-studded lineup at Meydan today

Thursday’s seven-race, $1,355,000 Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting is sponsored by pillar partner Al Tayer Motors and features a stakes-heavy, star-studded line-up.

Four group stakes will be contested and a trio of handicaps that will surely have bearing on the upcoming Super Saturday and Dubai World Cup meetings.

The top-rated horse trained in Dubai will make his local debut when Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby-conditioned Ghaiyyath breaks from the outside post six under William Buick in the 2000m Dubai Millennium, named after the iconic Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline winner.

A son of two classic winners, Ghaiyyath is unraced since finishing unplaced in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) and was a devastating 14-length victor in German G1 company prior to that.

A return to that level of performance makes him much the best in this spot, but his conditioner—winner of three of the past four renewals—has laid the caveat that the main goal is the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in five weeks’ time.

One of three G1 winners in the race, he is joined by Desert Encounter, trained by David Simcock, and Saeed Bin Suroor-conditioned Royal Meeting. The former will surely need the race, but ended 2019 in career-best form, winning four consecutive races, including a second Canadian International (G1) at Woodbine over 2400m. Royal Meeting, on the other hand, has yet to race beyond 1600m and will get a class and stamina test here.  Jim Crowley rides the former from post five, while Pat Cosgrave will be on the latter from the rail.

Past winners of the Dubai Millennium include standouts Zarak and Hunter’s Light, who set the course record (2:00.67) in this race in 2015. Ghaiyyath carries a massive 126 mark, making him one of the top-rated horses in the world.

Meanwhile, A field of 10 will assemble at the starting gate to prove themselves at the Group 2 level in the 1000m Meydan Sprint, a race that has been a steppingstone for $2 million Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) winners Shea Shea and Blue Point.

Charlie Hills-trained favourite Equilateral is squarely the one to beat in this 10-horse field and carries a top rating of 112.

A Juddmonte Farms homebred, he manhandled the $175,000 Dubai Dash (Listed) four weeks ago over this course and distance and has the return services of James Doyle from post five.

Finishing second that day was Waady, who returned last week over this distance to win in handicap company for trainer Doug Watson. Owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, he will be ridden by said owner’s top jockey Jim Crowley from post six and appears one of the bigger threats to Equilateral if he thrives on racing three times in a four-week span.