Dubai connections to flavour Royal Ascot event

Dubai: Leading horses with Dubai connections are poised to make a swoop for top honours at this year's Royal Ascot meeting which starts at the famous Berkshirecourse in England Tuesday.

One of the world's most famous race meetings which dates back to 1711, Royal Ascot kicks off with a triple Group 1 treat featuring the Queen Anne Stakes, King's Stand Stakes and the St James's Palace Stakes.

The Dubai-owned Godolphin stable have an outstanding record at Royal Ascot and will be hoping to add to their success by winning the Queen Anne for the eighth time with Calming Influence.

Trained by Mahmoud Al Zarouni and set to be ridden by Ahmad Ajtebi, 33/1 Calming Influence is joined by another horse with Dubai connections in Ouqba, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

Both Calming Influence and Ouqba have their work cut out for them with this year's race looking like the strongest renewal in recent history.

Formidable opponents

French super mare Goldikova looks to be the one they will all have to beat while Paco Boy and Rip Van Winkle are equally formidable opponents.

Commenting on the chances of his dual Breeders' Cup Mile heroine Goldikova, trainer Freddie Head told At The Races: "I am very hopeful she is in the best form and I think she will run a cracking race."

"I would love to win at Royal Ascot. I haven't been lucky there but I think she will turn things around Everything has been OK and she has run in Englandbefore and I think she will behave well."

 Godolphin will be hoping that history can repeat itself, having previously scored with Charnwood Forest (1996), Allied Forces (1997), Intikhab (1998), Cape Cross (1999), Dubai Destination (2003), Refuse to Bend (2004) and Ramonti (2007).

Spin Cycle carries the colours of Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the King's Stand Stakes, the British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge run over a straight 1,000 metres.

Australian sprinters have an awesome record in the race having won three of the last five runnings and the David Hayes-trained Nicconi looks good to maintain their domination today.

Godolphin jockey Frankie Dettori takes the ride on the ante-post favourite.

"We have a lot of respect for the locals. Team Aussie is not over-cocky, but I think we will be very competitive.

"I do think the Aussie raiders are comparable to the sprinters that have come over here before," Hayes told Sportinglife.

Serious threat

However, Kingsgate Native and 2008 winner Equiano are proven over the distance and must pose a serious threat to the rivals. Godolphin's Roayh is among three horses with Dubai interests in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes. Shaikh Hamdan's Elzaam and Planet Waves, owned by Dubai businessman Saeed Manana, also line up with 12 other runners in the fray.

Unbeaten Strong Suit and Zoffany look the pick of the runners but recent maiden winner Roayh and York scorer Elzaam are horses tipped to improve and test the credentials of the more fancied runners at the event.

Day One

Emirati connection

Horses with UAE connections (owner/ trainer/ jockey)

5.30pm THE QUEEN ANNE STAKES (Group 1) (1600 metres) n Calming Influence (trained by Mahmoud Al Zarouni) and ridden by Ahmad Ajtebi. Godolphin.

• Ouqba (Barry Hills ) Richard Hills 01642 -2. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

6.05pm THE KING'S STAND STAKES ) (Group 1) (British Leg of the Global Sprint Challenge (1,000 metres)

• Spin Cycle (B Smart) Richard Mullen. Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum.

7:25pm THE COVENTRY STAKES (Group 2) (1,200 metres)

• Elzaam (M Jarvis) Richard Hills. Shaikh Hamdan. n Planet Waves (Clive Brittain) Seb Sanders. Saeed Manana C. E. Brittain. n Roayh (Saeed Bin Surour) Frankie Dettori. Godolphin

8:00pm THE ASCOT STAKES (4,000 metres)

• Som Tala (Mick Channon) Richard Hughes. Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

8:35 pm THE WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES (Listed) (1,000 metres)

Fascinating figures

Royal Ascot in numbers:

• 30 — Number of races run during the course of the Royal Meeting at Ascot
• 73 —The climb, in yards, that racehorses have to complete to reach the finishing post
• 1,768 — The year the inaugural Royal Meeting took place at Ascot
• 4,023 — The distance run in the longest race at the meeting — the Ascot Gold Cup.