The best is very much saved until last at Al Ain on Friday evening with the seventh and final race being the featured Round 2 Of The Al Ain Marathon Series.

A 3200m handicap, it has a field of nine but very few can be seriously fancied to win this severe stamina test with few guaranteed to stay the marathon trip.

One who certainly will stay is Sheikh Down, winner of the same race last year and one of three in the field trained by Eric Lemartinel for Sheikh Khalifa. The mount of Royston Ffrench, he managed to win over 1600m on turf at Abu Dhabi in December and is clearly versatile.

He was chased home in this last year by stable companion Burj Khalifa, again in opposition but, perhaps tellingly, stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea has chosen to ride the stable’s third runner, RB Rich Surprise.

O’Shea said: “These choices are never easy and I won this on Sheikh Down last year but RB Rich Surprise impressed me when winning on Boxing Day over 1800m. All three of ours go well on the dirt and should be competitive on the day.”

The first leg of this year’s series was won by Haanoof, who denied Sheikh Down right on the line in that 2600m handicap, suggesting the extra 600m here will suit well.

Apprentice George Buckell is again in the saddle and said: “She stayed on really strongly the last day which suggested she will be suited by further.”

She is one of four in the race owned by Sheikh Mansour and trained by Nacer Samiri. Dig Dagon, trained by Abdallah Al Hammadi, was noted staying on from a long way back in that first leg and could be a danger under Richard Mullen.