Dubai: It is often said that it takes a superstar to win the Epsom Derby (Group 1) and four connections who are from Dubai will be hoping that they have that sort of horse in Saturday’s 237th running of Britain’s richest and most famous race.

Boasting a prize fund of £1.5 million (Dh7.94 million), the Classic is staged at Epsom, one of horse racing’s most challenging race tracks as it poses the ultimate test for both a horse and rider’s ability.

Godolphin, the racing entity of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and other members of the ruling Maktoum family of Dubai, are seeking a first Derby victory in their trademark royal blue colours with the Andre Fabre-trained Cloth Of Stars and Moonlight Magic, who races out of Jim Bolger’s stables in Ireland.

Cloth Of Stars, the lone French challenger, will be ridden by Godolphin’s retained rider Mickael Barzalona, while Kevin Manning, a long-time Bolger team member, takes the ride on Moonlight Magic.

Godolphin won the Derby once in 1995 with Lammtarra, but the horse raced in the colours of owner Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum.

“The last time Godolphin won the Derby was with Lammtarra and he ran in the colours of the Shaikh’s nephew. That was a massive, massive day and Jim has won the Derby for us with New Approach, which was very special,” said John Ferguson, Godolphin’s chief executive and racing manager.

“But to ultimately win the Derby in the Godolphin blue with Shaikh Mohammad here would be massive for him and very special for everybody.”

Cloth Of Stars was a Group 3 winner over a mile last season and runner-up in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

He is unbeaten in both starts this season, including the ten-furlong Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on May 8, a race that Fabre won with subsequent 2011 Investec Derby scorer Pour Moi. He was supplemented for the 2016 Derby at a cost of £75,000 on Monday.

Moonlight Magic, who was unbeaten in two starts last year, bounced back from a disappointing reappearance run to win the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial by a length and a quarter at Leopardstown on May 8. He hails from a family of Derby winners like Galileo and Sea The Stars.

“I rate Moonlight Magic as a good Investec Derby prospect and I would not swap him for anything else in the race. I could not be happier with him,” said Bolger, who won the Derby in 2008 with New Approach.

“He has the looks, demeanour, balance and temperament to go with his pedigree. There are no holes in this fellow.

“He is a beautifully balanced horse, so hopefully he will handle Epsom well. It is a pretty good field for the Derby but if I can get my horse fresh and well on the day then I think he will give a very good account of himself.

Massaat, who finished a notable second to Galileo Gold in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, bids to gift Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, with a third Derby trophy following Nashwan in 1989 and Erhaab in 1994.

Across The Stars bids to give Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail a second Derby success after Kris Kin in 2003.

A runner-up in a pair of maidens at Nottingham and Wolverhampton last season, the son of 2009 Derby scorer Sea The Star was an impressive winner of a twelve-furlong maiden on the polytrack at Lingfield Park on his reappearance this season. He was an unlucky third to Humphrey Bogart in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield Park on May 7.

Sir Michael Stoute, successful in the Derby five times, said: “He is a lovely big improving horse. We hope for the best.”

One of the widest open Derbys in recent years, the field is headed by ante-post favourite Wings of Desire who bids to emulate John Gosden’s success with Golden Horn last year.

Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien, who has saddled three of the last four winners, is mob-handed with five runners this year headed by big-race jockey Ryan Moore’s pick of the pack, US Army Ranger.