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Racing at Meydan on Sunday, a non-Dubai World Cup Carnival fixture, was highlighted by a 1600m turf handicap for which a capacity field of 16 lined up but was won convincingly by Godolphin’s Valiant Prince, William Buick in the saddle for Charlie Appleby.

Ridden positively by Buick from a wide draw, the 4yo gelded son of Dubawi was in the first two from the outset before shooting clear halfway up the straight with the race soon in safekeeping.

Monday’s Abu Dhabi meeting is highlighted by the 1200m Group 3 Al Ruwais for which 11 have been declared including Elise Jeanne’s stable stalwart MH Rahal, the mount of Richard Mullen.

Now an 8yo, the horse has been a great servant to his trainer and owner/breeder Mansoor Khalifa Sultan bin Habtoor since his debut third in early November 2017 at Abu Dhabi and losing his maiden tag a fortnight later on the dirt at Sharjah.

Racing at Meydan on Sunday, a non-Dubai World Cup Carnival fixture, is highlighted by a 1600m turf handicap in which at least half the field must have realistic claims of a carnival berth if producing a good performance here.

The weights are headed by Franz Kafka, the mount of James Doyle for Simon Crisford and, with an official rating of 95, already qualified for the carnival.

Friday’s second meeting of the 2022 Dubai World Carnival at Meydah is highlighted by a pair of Group Two turf features with, predictably, Godolphin strongly represented in both.

Their blue silks were carried to victory in the 1400m Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort last year by Land Of Legends and Frankie Dettori for Saeed bin Suroor. They will be hoping to repeat that success and are joined in the field by stable companion Storm Damage, the mount of Hector Crouch.

The First Leg of the Al Ain Marathon Series, a 3200m handicap, was the highlight of racing in Al Ain on Sunday and won, unsurprisingly for Al Ajban Stables by Abdallah Al Hammadi.

However, the identity of the winner was arguably a surprise because the victorious Whistle probably appeared the least likely to land the prize from connections’ four runners.

However, as it transpired, he was literally left to fly the lime green flag alone with his trio of stable companions filling the last three places.

Friday’s opening card of the 2022 Dubai World Cup Carnival was highlighted by the first rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge, both over 1600m on the Meydan dirt track with pride of place going to the Thoroughbred version, won by Golden Goal, winning on the opening night of the carnival for the second consecutive year.

He actually established a 1400m dirt track record on the opening night last year, when it was a week later, and this was a career best effort under Sam Hitchcott, sporting the silks of Dale Brennan for Doug Watson to take the Thoroughbred Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1.

Racing in Al Ain on Sunday is highlighted by the First Leg of the Al Ain Marathon Series, a 3200m handicap for which eight have been declared including a quartet for Abdallah Al Hammadi and Al Ajban Stables.

Of the four, Pat Cosgrave rides top weight and 11yo Balad Al Reef, a regular in these contests but without a win since landing the 4100m in the second round of the series in February 2020.

He did appear in good heart though on his one appearance this season, staying on well over an inadequate 1700m at Sharjah at the beginning of December.