Dubai: Flat racing makes its highly-anticipated return to the UAE on Friday afternoon when Jebel Ali Racecourse host a six-race card, highlighted by the 1000 metre Shadwell Farm handicap.

Thirteen runners are declared for the showpiece that features several Jebel Ali sprint specialists including Kilt Rock, the winners of five starts at the track. Now an eight-year-old, Kilt Rock will be ridden by Pat Dobbs for reigning UAE champion trainer Doug Watson.

The field also includes Trinity Force, the mount of UAE Champion Jockey, Tadhg O’Shea and the top rated Mubtaghaa, who will be ridden by Adrie De Vries for Emirati handler Musabah Al Muhairi.

O’Shea has been booked for all six races scheduled at Jebel Ali.

Trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, Trinity Force is set to make his third start locally and his first at Jebel Ali. The six year old’s two career wins came in Ireland when trained by Dubai World Cup Carnival regular, Ger Lyons.

According to his jockey Trinity Force is a horse to look out for, however he fares on Friday. “He is a nice horse who has been working well,” said O’Shea. “He will improve for the run but it is an ideal race to get him going and to try the Jebel Ali surface.

“He might prefer a bit further in time but he goes there in good heart.”

The race is sponsored by Shadwell Farm, the American arm of the breeding empire of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, whose world famous blue-and -white silks are to be carried by four of the 13 runners.

Dane O’Neill would normally be on the owner’s main hope at this early stage of the season but he is required in England with Shaikh Hamdan’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan, suspended.

Musabbeh Al Muhairi saddles three for the UAE’s perennial champion owners with stable jockey Fernando Jara electing to ride Rafeej. Rafeej was a 1200m course winner in March 2015 and on that occasion beat one of the top threats he will face on Friday — Kilt Rock.

Trained by Doug Watson, who is also responsible for Shaikh Hamdan’s fourth runner, Greeb, Kilt Rock has five Jebel Ali victories to his name, two over 1000m, and was second in this race last year when Rafeej was third.

He is owned by EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Club) whose spokesman, Justin Byrne, said: “He is nine now and, as he has aged, he has tended to need his first run but he has been an absolute star for the syndicate and owes us nothing. He will be ridden by Pat Dobbs with Sam Hitchcott aboard Greeb and stable apprentice Adam McLean will have his first UAE ride on Gobooll for Dhruba Selvaratnam.

Selvaratnam, who trains on the track for racecourse patron, Major General Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, saddles two for the owner as they seek to emulate their victory in the race of 12 months ago when subsequent Jebel Ali Sprint winner, Morawij, landed the spoils.