Bahar Muscat arrives unbeaten for Ibrahim Al Hadhrami having won his 1200m debut on the Muscat dirt just over a year ago before a pair of victories over this 1600m course and distance in the capital.
The first was in a conditions contest, followed up with an impressive success in the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship when far too good for 12 rivals. Antonio Fresu, in the saddle for both those victories in the capital maintains the potentially exciting partnership.
Runner-up to Fresu's mount in the Abu Dhabi Championship, on his local debut, was Rb Yas Sir , having his first start for Salem Al Ketbi. A 1900m winner on debut last July, he was then runner-up in Group Two company and third in a Group One so he clearly has plenty of ability.
This 1600m trip may well prove below his optimum though and he was well beaten by the impressive Bahar Muscat last time.
That Abu Dhabi Championship should most likely prove key to Monday's clash with the third, Af Mualami , another seeking revenge on Bahar Muscat.
Trained by Abubakar Daud, he has subsequently been well beaten in a 1400m maiden on dirt at Meydan but should appreciate this return to turf but, ahain, it is hard to see him reversing the form with Bahar Muscat.
As well as the favourite, Al Hadhrami also saddled Sattam Muscat who was runner-up to his illustrious stable companion in a conditions race over this Abu Dhabi 1600m in early December before filling the same berth, almost exactly a month ago, in a similar race over 1800m on dirt at Al Ain, the course over which he won his 1600m maiden on his third racecourse appearance.
His trainer also entered him in a 1600m conditions race on the Meydan dirt on Sunday so it perhaps looks significant he opts to run him here.
There are four fillies among the 11 declarations, perhaps headed by Al Khaleejy who managed to win on her local debut over 1400m in a maiden on dirt at Meydan. She was then well beaten when fourth, taking on her elders, in a 1400m Al Ain handicap.
To be ridden by Royston Ffrench for Helal Alalawi, this will be just her second turf outing after a very promising runners-up finish in a 1200m conditions contest at Newbury in July.
For Al Ajban Stables and Abdallah Al Hammadi, Golden Years landed a 1600m Al Ain maiden on just her second start. However, she was behind Al Khaleejy in the aforementioned handicap at the same venue and was a distance sixth in the Abu Dhabi Championship.
The only Thoroughbred contest is the concluding 3yo maiden over 1600m in which Green Team Station would appear to hold serious claims for Doug Watson under Pat Dobbs.
Fawzi Nass' Shalfa, the mount of Adrie de Vries, has done enough to suggest she can at least win a race and Reybaal appears an interesting debutant for Nicholas Bachalard under Richard Mullen.
