Dubai: Dubai World Cup-winning handler Saeed Bin Surour goes in search of another big prize on Sunday when he sends out Ihtimal to contest the £400,000 Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, England.

A Darley home bred by Kildangan Stud’s star stallion Shamardal, Ihtimal faces 18 rivals including fellow Godolphin hope Majeyda, who races out of Charlie Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks stable.

Ihtimal bids for a third Classic victory of 2014 following impressive wins in the Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas and Group 3 UAE Oaks on the all-weather at Meydan, Dubai earlier this year.

Last season, the three-year-old posted a two-length victory over Majeyda in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster in September.

Bin Surour, who is looking for a third win in the 201-year-old Classic acknowledges that Ihtimal will have to be at her best if she hoped to upstage her rivals headed by another Dubai-owned filly, Rizeena, French raider Miss France and the George Margarson-trained Lucky Kristale.

He commented: “Ihtimal was impressive when winning the UAE 1000 Guineas and UAE Oaks in Dubai.

“Her final piece of work earlier this week went well and she is ready to run.

“She is facing some of the best fillies in the country but this is the right race for her and I am looking forward to a good run,” added the Emirati.

Appleby was relishing the prospect of challenging for his first fillies’ Classic and said: “I was very pleased with Majeyda’s run in the Nell Gwyn Stakes and she came out of the race very well.

“She will appreciate the step back up to a mile and we feel that she deserves to take her chance.

“She is a very straightforward filly and I am confident that she will run another solid race.”

Rizeena, who races in the colours of Shaikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, won both the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes last season but has not run since her one length second to Chriselliam in the Group 1 Shadwell Fillies’ Mile in September.

However, her trainer Clive Brittain was talking up the favourite’s chances.

“Rizeena’s condition is better than we have ever had it,” the 80-year-old Brittain said. “Her work has been according to plan, she has done everything we have asked of her really well and we are going to the QIPCO 1000 Guineas with a very fine chance.”

Rizeena will be ridden by Champion Jockey Richard Hughes.

Sixty-one-year-old George Margarson, who hopes Lucky Kristale can end his long wait for a victory in the race, said: “It would mean everything. We have tried to win the 2000 Guineas a couple of times and hit the crossbar, so this time we a hoping to score a goal!

The 1,000 Guineas is the second of the five historic Classic races to be run in Britain each season.

Last year’s winner was Sky Lantern, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Richard Hughes.