Decorated Knight and Ribchester Dubai Turf clash

Roger Charlton expects Decorated Knight to raise his game for the Dubai Turf at Meydan on Saturday.

It is five years since the Charlton-trained Cityscape claimed the Group One prize in devastating fashion but the Beckhampton handler now has another major contender in the progressive Decorated Knight.

Having rounded off last season with an impressive Group Three success in Ireland, the son of Galileo made a successful return with a narrow verdict in Lingfield's Winter Derby Trial.

The victory earned him a step up to the highest level in the Jebel Hatta over this course and distance three weeks ago, which he won by a neck.

Charlton feels his charge has improved ahead of the big night.

He said: "Decorated Knight did well to win his Group One from where he was last time out and he's come out of the race really well, but he'll need to find another two or three lengths, I guess.

"This is a strong race and I hope we get a better pace than we did in the Jebel Hatta. He goes there in good form and I think there's a little bit of improvement to come, fitness-wise.

"I monitor all my horses, their time, speeds and heart recovery. His figures are good and I would say he has improved a little.

"He used to be very headstrong but he's relaxing well now and he has a turn of foot. Andrea (Atzeni) knows him well and the horse knows the track, so you can't do any more than that.

"He's won his Group One so where we go after this we'll have to wait and see, but we hope he's going to run well on Saturday."

Decorated Knight is part of a formidable British assault on the nine-furlong contest, in which Richard Fahey's Ribchester sets the standard.

The Godolphin-owned colt mixed it with the best as a three-year-old last term, with his top-level victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois sandwiched between tremendous placed efforts in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and the QEII at Ascot.

Fahey said: "We're happy, he came here fit and we haven't had to do much.

"Some of his form is very good and we feel he's a better horse now, but round here you need a bit of luck.

"I feel he'll stay, his dam ran over a mile and a half. If he settles he'll definitely stay.

"There was no pressure from Godolphin to come, it was my idea. There aren't many races. The better the horse, the less opportunities you have.

"It was either run here or wait until the Lockinge in the middle of May so he'll probably do both.

"He was joint-top-rated three-year-old in Europe last year so we'll see how he fares against the older horses."

The William Haggas-trained Mutakayyef finished an excellent third in last year's Juddmonte International over a mile and a quarter, before occupying the same position behind the great mare Tepin in the Woodbine Mile in Canada.

He missed his intended reappearance in last month's Winter Derby at Lingfield due to a foot abscess, but big-race jockey Jim Crowley is unconcerned.

He said: "I've been really impressed with Mutakayyef, he seems in really good form.

"Obviously he missed his intended run, but I don't think it seems to have been a problem.

"He's been and had a couple of racecourse gallops at Chelmsford and he feels great."

Aidan O'Brien fires a three-pronged assault in the bid to win the race for a first time.

Ryan Moore has sided with Deauville over stable companions Long Island Sound (Seamie Heffernan) and Cougar Mountain (Donnacha O'Brien).

Donnacha O'Brien told the Dubai Racing Channel: "Cougar Mountain is a solid horse. He sometimes find Group One level a bit tough, but there's a lot of prize-money in the race and hopefully he can pick up a bit of it.

"He's a real globetrotter and I'm particularly fond of him. He's taken me around the world.

"Deauville picked up a Group One last year and Long Island Sound went very close. Hopefully they'll improve as four-year-olds and they should make their mark at the top level this year."

Heading the betting is the impeccably-bred French challenger Zarak.

A son of Dubawi out of the great racemare Zarkava, the four-year-old looked the part when winning a Group Three at Meydan in mid-February.

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said: "He is in good form and ready for the race. But it is going to be tough as there are some good horses in there.

"He won his prep race well here - very well, in fact.

"He has grown quite a bit since last year and while the race is tough, with some serious horses like last year's Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Ribchester in it, I'm hopeful he will run well."

David O'Meara's Mondialiste, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Very Special and Opal Tiara from Mick Channon's stable also feature in a 13-strong field.