Can Presvis be third-time lucky?

Presvis will be having his third crack at this prize, after finishing second in 2009 and unplaced 12 months ago. On both occasions, Presvis broke from a wide stall, which can be a disadvantage. His finishing kick is better than most, however, and he has won big races by making incredible ‘last-to-first' moves.

The English-trained gelding is now seven but he is as good as ever, having won the Al Rashidiya sponsored by Gulf News (G2) by 4¾ lengths in January. Once more coming from off the pace, he took the 1,800 metres contest very easily from Steele Tango. On Super Thursday, Presvis ran in the Jebel Hatta (G2), a race he had won in 2010, and was narrowly beaten into third behind fellow Duty Free contender Wigmore Hall.

Presvis is a runner with a truly international flavour. Trained by the Italian Luca Cumani in England, and owned by Leonidas Marinopoulos from Greece, he is a son of one of Godolphin's all-time greats, Sakhee, and a Swedish-bred mare. His breeder, Mette Campbell-Andenaes, is a native of Norway.

She won the Small Breeder Of The Year Award in England last year. Presvis has won six of his 22 races. His biggest trophy to date was the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong two years ago. He has a good chance of gaining another high-profile success on World Cup night.

Globeform: 122

Wigmore Hall, like Poet's Voice making his first start since last year's Champion Stakes (G1) at Newmarket when going for the Jebel Hatta (G2), is a runner very much on the upgrade. Delivering a strong kick in the straight, Wigmore Hall got up to beat Poet's Voice by ¼ length.

One should not be too surprised by this performance, as the four-year-old has always promised to deliver high-class form. Wigmore Hall won a big handicap in England last year, and finished ahead of Poet's Voice when taking fifth in the Champion Stakes (G1). He was also runner-up to Paddy O'Prado when sent to Chicago for the Secretariat Stakes (G1) last summer.

Paddy O'Prado had been third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), so checking in 1¼ lengths behind this colt was no mean feat. Incidentally, Wigmore Hall was Bell's first runner at the Dubai International Racing Carnival. Not a bad way to start!

Globeform: 117p

Beauty Flash, one of the best horses in Hong Kong, is coming off three straight Group 1 wins. Trained by Tony Cruz and ridden by Gerald Mosse, he completed his hat-trick with a half-length verdict over Sunny King in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (G1) over 1,400 metres at Sha Tin on March 6.

He beat Sunny King also to lift the Stewards' Cup (G1) over 1,600 metres in January, and was chased home by Royal Bench in the Hong Kong Mile (G1) last December. Coming here in top form, Beauty Flash will get a lot of attention at Meydan, but the 1,800 metres is a worry. His best form has come over shorter trips.

Globeform: 119

Mendip's presence in the turf race is intriguing, as he has been racing on Tapeta up to now. He won the Al Maktoum Challenge Round I (G3) in January and followed up in the Burj Nahaar (G3) on Super Thursday — both these races were over 1,600 metres.

The step up to 1,800 metres is not likely to bother him though — it will probably be to his liking. The US-bred colt was one of the best in his classic generation in Dubai last year, and he was sent away as a strong favourite on his seasonal debut. He quickened right away in the straight to win the race easily by 2¼ lengths from Imbongi. This was a performance suggesting that he is a top-class runner in the making, but he had to work much harder for his win in the Burj Nahaar, where the 1,600-metres trip seemed a bit sharp for him.

Mendip just got up close home to beat Zafeen Speed by a neck, with As De Trebol a close third. Although he had an ‘off day', Mendip managed to win. He is a very game runner, who has suffered just one defeat in his six starts, when behind Musir and Raihanain last year's UAE Derby (G2).

Globeform: 118p

Worth knowing...

An outside starting stall is tricky over this distance, but not impossible; both Elvstroem (in 2005) and Jay Peg (2008) won from stall 14, while Linngari (in 2007) and Presvis (2009) both managed second from stall 16.