Goodwood, England: Godolphin are set to roll the dice when they run Brian The Snail in Saturday’s Stewards Cup, a legendary cavalry charge that brings the curtain down on this year’s Glorious Goodwood festival.

The historic contest, which was first run in 1840, is one of the craziest sprint races run during the British season as it brings together 28 horses who compete for a purse of £250,000 (Dh1.1 million).

What makes the race more appealing is that many of the contenders are unexposed and unevenly matched. As a result, luck in running can play a big part in deciding the fate of the winner.

Richard Fahey, for one, will be hoping for a change in fortunes with Brian The Snail following the terrible defeat of the high-class Ribchester in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes on Wednesday.

The three-year-old looked impressive when posting wins in his first three starts but appeared to go off the boil in May this year when he suffered the first of three subsequent defeats, including a below-par effort at Newmarket on his most recent outing.

Fahey will put the blinkers on the Godolphin colt in an attempt to smarten him in Saturday’s race.

The ante-post favourite is the Roger Charlton-trained Projection, who was third in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Other notables are Sir Dancealot and Hoof It, who won this contest back in 2011.

Shanghai Glory and Outback Traveller are also expected to be in the mix.

Elsewhere on the card, William Haggas saddles the Shaikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned Across Dubai in the Gordon Stakes, the only Group contest of the final day’s meeting.

The Cape Cross colt has won two of his three career starts including his last outing at Haydock. However, this race provides a biggest test should he appreciate the step up in trip to 2,100 metres.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Crystal Ocean looks the horse he will have to beat while John Gosden-trained Khalidi and Ralph Becket’s Mount Moriah also have strong credentials.

Crystal Ocean, with jockey Ryan Moore in saddle, put in an impressive piece of work ahead of Saturday’s race, which must have pleased Stoute.