Sir John Hawkins (UAE Derby)

Admiral Hawkins was a leading mariner and naval administrator in the era of Elizabeth I (GBR). He should be credited with creating the navy (he was third in command officially) that was to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588 and that took on the Spanish naval might in the West Indies and Southern America. He was also a shipbuilder, merchant, navigator, pirate and slave trader.

More the merrier

There are two major sporting heros in the world called Ryan Moore. One of them is a top-class jockey, who rides the duel Japan Cup winner Gentildonna to try and go one better in the Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday among other promising rides. The other Ryan Moore is an USPGA golfer, who last won the CIMB Classic in October.

Sir Jack Leyden (UAE Derby)

Leyden was a UK Labour Politician, who died in 1996. He served for 22 years as leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and seven years as chairman of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.

Giovanni Boldini (UAE Derby)

Named after the Italian genre and portrait painter. According to a 1933 article in Time magazine, he was known as the “Master of Swish” because of his flowing style of painting.

Michael Chang

The trainer of Rich Tapestry (Dubai Golden Shaheen) is not the American tennis player, who became the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17. CW Chang, or Michael as he is known, has been training horses since 2005-06 and has improved his string every year since. Rich Tapestry certainly has a big chance to keep his career on the upward progression.

The Fugue (Dubai Duty Free)

John Gosden’s star filly is named after the 2009 film where a struggling artist named Nora Dunn has her life disturbed when a friend appears as a ghost and a policeman has to save Nora before the spirit drives her to worse evils. Let’s hope the brilliant racemare will only be driven to glory.

Sheikzayedroad (Dubai Gold Cup)

Named after the six-lane highway that runs the length of Dubai. Let’s hope the horse runs quicker than the traffic during rush hour.

Reynaldothewizard

Has his owner at Zabeel Racing to thank for his name. As a big fan of Manchester United Reynaldo was named when Cristiano Ronaldo was in his pomp there. Let’s hope he manages to run rings round his opposition like his namesake did.

— The writer is a racing journalist and broadcaster and GM of Draiton Feed Commodities