Dubai: Dubai-owned Adaay booked his ticket to next month’s prestigious Royal Ascot meeting when romping home a smart winner of the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday.

Trained by Derby-winning handler William Haggas for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, the Kodiac colt scored by a length from this season’s Ascot scorer Limato.

Both horses will head to the Royal meeting where they will renew their rivalry in the first running of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, the third sprint highlight at the five-day extravaganza together with the King’s Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

The Commonwealth Cup is restricted to three-year-olds and aims to improve the quality of sprint races on the continent.

“I think that’s the way to ride him,” said the winning rider, who was completing a treble at the meeting.

“He’s a very good horse, Limato, and that’s why I’m extra-pleased to win today,” said Hanagan. “I think better ground would probably suit him ideally.”

Speaking from Newmarket, Haggas said: “I’m really pleased. Limato beat him first time out, but our horses have been coming on for the run.

“He will now go for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot.”

Limato was cut to 7/2 (from 3/1) while Adaay is now a 7/1 chance (from 14/1) for their Royal Ascot assignments.

Meanwhile, Jumeirah Glory, a three-year-old colt who takes his name from Dubai’s most prestigious postcode, looked a horse on the up when holding off Godolphin’s Serene Beauty in a close run handicap at Haydock Park on Saturday.

Ridden by former two-time British champion jockey Paul Hanagan, the Irish-bred horse dug deep to win by a shorthead in the meet’s opening event.

William Buick’s Serene Beauty came late to challenge but was denied by the shortest of margins.

Jumeirah Glory is owned by Shaikh Rashid Dalmouk Al Maktoum.

“The runner-up came at me quick, but my horse didn’t stop and galloped all the way to the line, so I’d have been gutted if he’d got beat,” Hanagan told the Sportinglife.

“I think Richard [Fahey] has always thought a bit of him. He has been a bit disappointing, but he felt very straightforward to me. I spoke to Richard this morning, he told me to be positive and it worked out.

“I thought the ground was just on the slow side of good. It’s windy out there and it’s dried up a lot since last night.”

Meanwhile at Newmarket, Godolphin’s Wordcraft made a winning debut when running away with the Now Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Ridden by James Doyle for Charlie Appleby, the winner showed plenty of ability to score by a length and a half from Joe Fanning’s Bella Nostalgia.