Final spurt in Meydan

Meydan, Friday, 25 February: The Dubai Racing Carnival is entering the home stretch and only Super Saturday on 5 March counts towards the meeting. Three weeks later, the desert spectacle comes to an end with the World Cup and its millionaire races in the supporting programme.

The Dubai Millennium Stakes (4th race/16.45/150,000 $/2000m/turf) commemorates the Godolphin charge that won the World Cup 22 years ago and the hosts are strongly poised to congratulate themselves at the presentation ceremony. Star Safari (William Buick) and Royal Fleet (James Doyle) are the names of the chances Charlie Appleby is in charge of. Volcanic Sky (Frankie Dettori) and Big Team (Louis Steward) saddled Saeed bin Suroor. Star Safari won the Zabeel Turf (List race) here safely against Marie`s Diamond (Rowan Scott), while his training companion lost honourably to Lord Glitters in the Singspiel Stakes (Group 2). The bin-Suroor protégés excelled here with two third places each. Integrant (Mickael Barzalona) came in fifth behind Star Safari, but the four-year-old was not beaten two lengths for the win. Many eyes will be on Burgas (Halis Karatas), as he travels from Turkey and won several Group 1 races there.