LORD GLITTERS won this last year and had Art Du Val close up in fourth when landing the Group 1 Jebel Hatta over the track and trip in March. He competed at a very high level in the UK before landing the lucrative Bahrain International, when Zakouski was well beaten, and returned to finish fourth here last month which should have put him spot-on for this. The latter, runner-up a year ago, has a superb record around here and looks an obvious threat. Royal Fleet is progressing fast enough to make his presence felt while Bedouin's Story is another with a good record around here. Alfareeq has returned to action in top form and can get into contention while Passion And Glory completed a hat-trick in the UK last summer and is another who will have benefited from his reappearance.
Art Du Val (9-0) 3rd of 11, 2 1/2l behind Desert Fire (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 2 stks fst in Jan.
Bedouin's Story (9-0) 5th of 11, 6 3/4l behind Desert Fire (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 2 stks fst in Jan.
Court House (IRE) (9-0) 8th of 12, 10 1/4l behind Lord North (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 1 stks (1) gd in Mar.
Enemy (9-5) 2nd of 16, nk behind Val Bassett (8-4) at Deauville 1m 1f hcp pol in Nov.
Freescape 7-2 (9-9) Waited with towards rear, headway approaching straight where raced on outer, kept on without threatening inside final furlong, 5th of 10, 4 1/4l behind Dalvey (9-1) at Dundalk 1m 3f hcp pol in Dec.
Kick On (9-0) 9th of 11, 7 1/4l behind Desert Fire (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 2 stks fst in Jan.
Lord Glitters (FR) (9-0) 4th of 11, 3 1/2l behind Desert Fire (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 2 stks fst in Jan.
Passion And Glory (IRE) (9-6) 11th of 15, 10 1/4l behind Dubai Future (9-3) at Meydan 1m 4f lst stks (1) gd in Jan.
Royal Fleet (8-13) 2nd of 11, 2 1/4l behind Desert Fire (9-0) at Meydan 1m 1f Grp 2 stks fst in Jan.
Sir Busker (IRE) 9-1 (9-11) Raced far side, held up towards rear, never involved, 15th of 20, 8 1/4l behind Aldaary (9-6) at Ascot 1m hcp (2) gs in Oct.
Zakouski (9-1) 9th of 13, 14 1/2l behind Lord Glitters (9-4) at Sakhir 1m 2f Grp 3 in Nov.
Alfareeq (IRE) (9-0) 2nd of 13, 2 1/2l behind Real World (9-4) at Meydan 1m Grp 2 stks (1) gd in Jan.