Dubai: Horse racing in Hong Kong is at a level where the prize money on offer and the programme of races available is tempting enough to persuade some owners to keep their horse on home territory rather than travel to Dubai this time.

But we should have at least four runners here from that region. Dundonnell and Fabulous One arrived a while ago and have settled well to their regimes.

The two horses may have had their prep runs on Sha Tin’s all-weather surface just before they flew to Dubai for their first runs ever on turf. They both shared the same berth on route to Dubai but they are to go separate routes now on Super Saturday.

Dundonnell goes for the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaalover 120Om on the dirt surface and Fabulous One takes his place in the equivalent Conditions race on the turf.

Back in 2012 when my son jockey James Doyle was retained rider for Juddrnonte Farms’ Prince Khalid Abdullah, he was Dundonell’s regular rider The highly strung two-year-old son of First Defence was trained by Roger Charlton.

I remember being present at a Lingfield Park meeting and watching them fairly scorch home by no less than 12 lengths. They continued on to York where they took the coveted Group 3 Acomb Stakes. The next stop was Doncaster’s Group 2 Champagne Stakes where they only just failed to get past a future dual Group 1 winner Toronado,

A memorable first trip to the USA for the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita followed, After a tricky passage through the race they finished fourth, two and a half lengths behind the winner, George Vancouver in the Juvenile Turf.

Returning to the track as a three year old he won a listed race first time up and was then very unlucky in running during the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He subsequently changed hands and started a new life in Hong Kong in 2014. They finally dropped him to sprint trips and beat some of the best in Hong Kong when winning a local Group 2. Whilst he hasn’t won again there, as with all sprinters, his day will come.

He has looked superb in the mornings on the track, very relaxed and moving easily over the surface.

Fabulous One is a less impressive looking horse and much less exposed on the racecourse. The Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint has a huge field-17! Many of the runners come here with good recent form so he will need to be above his game to be involved at the finish.

— The author is a former trainer from the UK and the mother of leading international jockeys James and Sophie Doyle.