This evening’s ninth meeting at Meydan will be followed by next week’s Super Saturday and then the Dubai World Cup meeting three weeks later.

– #Quiz360: WIN dinner for 2 at Jumeira Rotana, Dubai

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor appears to hold all the aces in today’s feature, the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2,810m on turf, and is represented by three of the 11 runners. 

This race was first run in 2010 and has only ever been won by a Godolphin handler with Bin Suroor seeking a fourth win and last year’s victor, Cavalryman, looks the one the rest have to beat. 

He will be making his seasonal debut, as he was when landing the prize last year before a desperately unlucky second in the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night. 

He is joined in the field by stable companions Ahzeemah, winner of this in 2013, and Excellent Result, also a course and distance winner. 

With James Doyle in Australia to ride Godolphin’s Hartnell in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm, William Buick is aboard Cavalryman with Dane O‘Neill on Excellent Result and Harry Bentley takes the ride on Ahzeemah. 

Bentley returns to UAE action having partnered nine winners in Qatar this week.

Bin Suroor said: “All three are working well and in good form at home.

"Cavalryman has not had a run this season but he won this first time out last year and it has always been the plan to bring him back here.”