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$1,500,000 Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments

A Case Of You, the horse nobody wanted, struck a memorable victory for Ireland in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (sponsored by Azizi Developments) to spark emotional celebrations for his exultant connections.

Predictions the race would unfold when it mattered down the grandstand rail proved accurate as A Case Of You, drawn closest to the near side in gate 16, raced handily under his regular rider Ronan Whelan.

$1,000,000 Group 2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Nakheel

Bathrat Leon returned to his very best form, much of which had deserted him during his three-year-old year, by giving Japan its second success in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile (sponsored by Nakheel).

The Yoshito Yahagi-trained four-year-old entered last year's classic season at home as one of their leading contenders but emerged with a battered reputation and had not finished closer than ninth in six starts since taking the Group 2 New Zealand Trophy (1600m) at Nakayama in April.

Sibling rivalries are no new aspect of the Dubai World Cup meeting, but this year could see history being made in two of the premier features – the Dubai World Cup and the Dubai Sheema Classic.

The first Dubai World Cup meeting saw two sets of brothers in the Nad Al Sheba Mile (now the Godolphin Mile), with Pat and Paul Eddery joined by Michael and Richard Hills. The Hills twins in particular were regular fixtures at Nad Al Sheba and then Meydan, their best joint performance second and fourth in the 2011 Dubai Sheema Classic.

The Dubai Gold Cup (sponsored by Al Tayer) may be the most recent addition to the Dubai World Cup card, joining the programme in 2012, but this year it has attracted one of the most exciting horses in its short history in the undefeated Manobo.

Charlie Appleby’s four-year-old is five from five and warmed up for this assignment with a facile win in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2800 metres last month.

Horses from the United States, Uruguay, UAE, Russia and Japan will clash in a wide-open edition of the Group 2 UAE Derby (sponsored by Mubadala).

With 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the table for the winner, the race is an important step for three-year-olds hoping to run for the roses on the first Saturday in May, something being considered by the Japanese contingent.

Since the first running back in 1996, no horse has won the Group 1 Dubai Turf (sponsored by DP World) more than once, so history is against British raider Lord North when he defends his crown on Saturday.

Five other Group 1 winners lie in wait for John Gosden’s six-year-old, who was the impressive winner of the 1800-metre contest last year by three lengths from Vin De Garde, who takes him on again in 2022.

William Muir is hopeful that last year’s Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver can produce another excellent performance at the top level when he takes his chance in the Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic over a mile and a half.

The five-year-old has gained fans around the world for his rags-to-riches success story, winning multiple Group contests for his breeders Roger Devlin and Guy and Hugh Leach, who retained the son of Harbour Watch after he failed to find a buyer at 10,000 guineas as a foal.