LE BERNARDIN won this very easily on his reappearance last year before taking a Group 2 on the opening night of the Carnival in January. He was beaten into third by Cool Cowboy on his final start though the winner had an uncontested lead on a lightening-quick surface. Ali Al Rayhi's charge goes very well fresh and can repeat last year's success despite his penalty. Maftool, beat Cool Cowboy half-a-length on his return to action in January, when Footbridge was close up, having won the previous season's UAE 2000 Guineas. He couldn't get involved in the Godolphin Mile, where Cool Cowboy finished an excellent third, but there's very little between any of them. Dormello was in excellent form on Turf at the beginning of this year and has won on Dirt and though Earnshaw, a Group 3 winner in France, hasn't won here he's raced at a high level and is one to note over the coming weeks.
Maftool (USA) 15-2 (9-0) Never better than mid-division, 7th of 0, 16 3/4l behind One Man Band (9-0) at Nad Al Sheba 1m Grp 2 fst in Mar.
Farrier (USA) 100-1 (9-0) Slowly into stride, tracked leaders until outpaced final 400m, 13th of 0, 8 1/4l behind Real Steel (9-0) at Nad Al Sheba 1m 1f Grp 1 (1) gf in Mar.
Footbridge (USA) (9-2) 5th of 23, 1 1/4l behind Maftool (9-5) at Meydan 1m hcp fst in Feb.
Long Water (USA) (8-10) 5th of 13, 7l behind Stunned (9-2) at Jebel Ali 7f hcp fst in Dec.
Earnshaw (USA) (9-0) 4th of 14, 2 1/2l behind Championship (9-0) at Abu Dhabi 1m gd in Dec.
Le Bernardin (USA) (9-0) 3rd of 8, 4 1/4l behind Cool Cowboy (9-0) at Meydan 1m Grp 3 stks (1) fst in Mar.
Cool Cowboy (USA) (9-6) 3rd of 10, 8 1/4l behind Beachy Head (8-9) at Jebel Ali 7f hcp fst in Nov.
Fauvism (USA) 50-1 (9-2) 8th of 16, 8 1/4l behind Torchlighter (9-4) at Meydan 1m 1f hcp gf in Jan.
Dormello (IRE) (9-0) 4th of 12, 2 1/4l behind Khusoosy (8-13) at Abu Dhabi 1m 3f Grp 3 (1) gd in Mar.
Frankyfourfingers (FR) (9-0) 11th of 0, 16 1/2l behind Le Bernardin (9-0) at Meydan 1m Grp 2 stks gf in Jan.
Need To Know (SAF) (8-13) won at Meydan 1m stks fst in Nov beating Heavy Metal (8-13) by 2l, 10 ran.
Fitzgerald (USA) (9-3) won at Meydan 7f hcp fst in Nov beating Bannock (8-7) by 1 3/4l, 9 ran.