Meydan Racecourse hosts arguably the best fixture of the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival to date on Friday evening, a quality seven-race card highlighted by the second, thus middle, legs of the Maktoum Challenge, as well as a pair of Group Two features.

The official highlight, over 1900m on dirt, is the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 for which nine have been declared and landed in the past by subsequent Dubai World Cup winners Moon Ballad (2003) and Thunder Snow (2018).

Among those hoping to emulate that illustrious pair is Algiers, already successful in the 1600m Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, as well as last year's Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile. The 6yo Shamardal gelding was far too good for 15 rivals in the first leg a month ago, storming clear under James Doyle who is again in the saddle.

He is trained in partnership by Simon and Ed Crisford. The latter said: "We were delighted with his win in the first round and the way he did it so comfortably. He has adapted really well to dirt racing and is so versatile having also won on turf and been placed on the all-weather. He has won as far as 2400m so the step up in trip is not likely to be an issue.
"He is drawn wider than ideal but he was in the first round and overcame it then so hopefully he can again."

There is no shortage of quality opposition, including three Group One winners, Salute The Soldier, Atletico De Curano and First Constitution.

The first named is seeking to become the third dual winner of the contest but, unlike Best Of The Bests and Jack Sullivan, he is trying to regain the crown, as opposed to retain it, as he missed the race last year. Regular pilot Adrie de Vries is again aboard for Victorious and Fawzi Nass.

Nass' charge made a successful return to action this season, three weeks ago, with a smooth 2000m dirt victory from Atletico De Curano who was having his third local outing, all this season. The extra distance should suit the latter though as he won at the highest level over 2400m in South America just over two years ago.

On his penultimate start, he was well held in sixth behind Remorse, a revelation last season in a campaign that ended with an excellent sixth in the Dubai World Cup. Tadhg O'Shea again rides for Bhupat Seemar.

In a race trainer Salem bin Ghadayer has yet to taste success, First Constitution will bid to rectify that statistic under Pat Dobbs who picks up the choice spare ride with Mickael Barzalona suspended.

Third to Remorse on his local debut, the 5yo full horse then failed to beat any of ten rivals behind Salute The Soldier but he did win at Group One level, in Chile, in October 2020. He is owned by RRR Racing whose spokesman/racing manager, Muammer Abdulla, said: "He is a nice horse and you can ignore his last run; we tried cheekpieces and he did not like them."

Nass, Victorious and De Vries will be seeking to land the Purebred Arabian equivalent, the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2, with local debutant Hiab Al Zaman, a Grade One winner in his native US and who looks a classy new recruit.

The 15 opposing include Rajeh, winner last year for Musabbeh Al Mheiri, and 2021 victor RB Frynch Dude, trained by Helal Alalawi.

The first of the turf features is for fillies and mares, the 1600m Group 2 Cape Verdi and, predictably, Godolphin appear to hold a particularly strong hand, responsible for four of the 12 runners declared, two apiece for Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor.

For Appleby, William Buick partners With The Moonlight in preference to Wild Beauty, the mount of Doyle. Soft Whisper and Danny Tudhope appear the main Bin Suroor hope with De Vries coming in for the spare ride aboard White Moonlight with Pat Cosgrave suspended.

Bin Suroor said: "Soft Whisper is a tough filly, who always tries in her races, and came out of her win in the Ipi Tombe Stakes in good form. She has been going well at home and I'm looking for another success from her.
"White Moonlight is a big, strong filly, who is improving all the time. Her latest piece of work went well and the step back up in trip will suit. We are hopeful of another good effort."

Meanwhile, Appleby said: "With The Moonlight is clear on official ratings and, while the trip will be on the sharp side, I feel that the style of racing at Meydan will suit her.
"Wild Beauty has definitely come on for her first start of the year and will hopefully be very competitive. I feel we have two fillies that should be bang there in the finish."

It is a similar story in the 1900m Group 2 Singspiel Stakes, Buick partnering Appleby's Ottoman Fleet with Doyle aboard Valiant Prince, unbeaten at Meydan after three course appearances, most recently, under Doyle, in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya over this course and distance when Buick and Ottoman Fleet were third.

Appleby said: "Valiant Prince has come out of the Al Rashidiya well. He has to carry a penalty for that win but has a nice draw in stall two and should be very competitive based on what he achieved last time out.
"I feel Ottoman Fleet has come forward since the Al Rashidiya, when he travelled well before getting a bit tired in the last 100 yards. He is better at the weights with Valiant Prince this time, which should put him bang there."

Meanwhile, Bin Suroor again saddles Dubai Future, another choice spare ride for De Vries, runner-up in the Al Rashidiya, as well as Desert Fire, winner of this last year, who will be ridden by Louis Steward.
Bin Suroor said: "Dubai Future ran well to finish second in the Al Rashidiya and this course and distance suits him. This is another tough race but he heads into it in good form.

"Desert Fire won nicely in last season's Al Rashidiya but was disappointing in the Zabeel Mile a fortnight ago. He came out of that race in good condition and I am hoping for a better performance this time."