The first major Thoroughbred race of the campaign, Sunday’s Listed National Day Cup, was won in style by Championship under Colm O’Donoghue, who claimed a first win in his role as stable jockey to Ahmad bin Harmash.

The trainer has his string in great form and this was an impressive victory from a quality field, including last year’s winner, Forjatt, who was fifth and Shamaal Nibras, whom Championship chased home in the course and distance prep race three weeks ago.

Penalised on that occasion, Championship had no such extra burden this time and looked the likely winner from a long way out, inflicting revenge on Shamaal Nibras.

O’Donoghue, a multiple Group One-winning jockey in his role with Irish Champion Trainer Aidan O’Brien, for whom he won the Group 2 UAE Derby aboard Daddy Long Legs in 2012, said: “The team were very confident coming here after his great run in the prep and he did that very nicely. I am delighted to get a big winner for the yard so early in the season.”

The Purebred Arabian feature, the 1600m Group 3 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup, went the way of Sharaf Al Reef, arguably a surprise winner under Fernando Jara.

The pair, having looked outpaced throughout the first half of the race, eventually seemed to benefit from a frantic early gallop with the early leaders weakening in the final 300m.

He is trained by Abdallah Al Hammadi who had already visited the winner’s enclosure courtesy of Sarab Al Reef, who triumphed under Jesus Rosales in a 1600m conditions contest.

Manchester City may have been defeated by Chelsea on Saturday, but Sheikh Mansour saw his colours carried to victory twice, bookending the card with Fahadd in the opening 1400m maiden and Qader in the last, a 1600m handicap.

The other race, a 1200m handicap, was dominated by trainer Ernst Oertel who provided the first three home, Madjanthis, Ibn Harmany Al Zobair and AF Hakeem.