Meydan plays host to its best fixture of the Dubai Carnival so far on Thursday, with Round Two of the Al Maktoum Challenge taking centre stage.
Moon Ballad took this now Group Two prize en-route to winning the 2003 Dubai World Cup and he is one of seven previous winners of this contest trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
This year the Godolphin handler is represented by Prince Bishop, Mendip and new recruit Pisco Sour, but principal rider Frankie Dettori has passed over them all to ride the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Dubai Prince.
Much was expected of the Shamardal colt following an unbeaten juvenile campaign for Dermot Weld but while he impressed on his belated Godolphin debut at Newbury in September, he trailed home well beaten in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Al Zarooni has a second runner in Biondetti, and said: "Obviously this is a tough race but they are nice horses and ones we are very much looking forward to running at the Carnival. They had their problems last year but are in good form now and we will find out a lot about them."
Master Of Hounds, runner-up in the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge behind stable companion Musir, will be saddled by South African maestro Mike de Kock.
The trainer said: "We were delighted with that first run as he will have needed it and 1600m is short enough for him. He should run well."
Bold Silvano won the race for De Kock last year and he runs for the first time since when going against eight rivals in the Group Three Firebreak Stakes over a mile.
De Kock added: "We really thought he was our (Dubai) World Cup horse last year but sadly he missed the race through injury and we have given him all the time he needed. He is working well and, hopefully, this is the first step towards the 2012 Dubai World Cup."
The third major prize is the UAE 2000 Guineas, in which Steven Burridge's Singapore raider Dark Matter will be bidding for his third win at the course. British handler Brian Meehan saddles both Burano and Mehdi, while the Godolphin camp are predictably well represented by Kinglet and Rassam.
