Postponed thriving as he goes for City Of Gold repeat

No horse has ever won Super Saturday’s Dubai City Of Gold twice but the Roger Varian-trained Postponed will be a hot favourite to remedy that when he faces nine rivals in the 1m4f Group 2 turf race he won comfortably 12 months ago.

Varian’s stable star followed that with an almost equally smooth victory, over the same course and distance, in the Group 1 Sheema Classic on World Cup night.

Back in Europe he landed the Coronation Cup and Juddmonte International before a disappointing fifth, when favourite, in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

That ended a run of six consecutive victories that begun in the 2015 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes when trained by Luca Cumani.

Varian said: "Postponed arrived in Dubai last week and he appears to have thrived on his return to Meydan. He looks well, is in fine form and we know these conditions play perfectly to his strengths.

"I hope he can emulate his success in this race last year prior to another tilt at the Sheema Classic."

King Bolete performed pacemaking duties for Postponed in the Juddmonte and will fulfil the same role at Meydan. Varian added: "He has something to find on form in this company, but he will help ensure the gallop is a sensible one. He's in good form too and I don’t think he'll be disgraced."

Andrea Atzeni, who is aboard Postponed, could land a big turf race double as he also partners Decorated Knight for Roger Charlton in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta.

Having missed last week’s Winter Derby to contest this, the five-year-old is having his first experience of Dubai, and Charlton said: "He settled straight in and pleased Andrea when he worked on Wednesday. It's a good race but we have to be hopeful."

Round three of the Al Maktoum Challenge is the official feature on the card, carrying Group 1 status, and Saeed Bin Suroor bids to continue his fine record in the race.

Subsequent World Cup winners Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006) have all won for Bin Suroor, who this time relies on Move Up.

Last season's Cumberland Lodge winner will be tackling dirt for the first time, and Bin Suroor said: “We wanted to give him a chance over a mile and a quarter on the dirt to see how he gets on. He has improved physically and is ready to go.”

Special Fighter, who won the race last year before finishing fourth to California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup, has his first start since that run with Maria Ritchie taking over the licence from Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who has been banned after a horse in his care tested positive for cobalt.

With the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night increased from five furlongs to six this year, the 6f Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint is a new prep race on Saturday's card.

Godolphin duo Jungle Cat and Baccarat, both trained by Charlie Appleby, appear the pair to beat, and Appleby said: "Jungle Cat has been knocking on the door for a while now. He was beaten fair and square by a very good horse in Ertijaal in the Meydan Sprint and the return to six furlongs will play to his strengths. He looks like the one the rest have to beat.

"Baccarat beat Jungle Cat earlier this winter but we felt beforehand Jungle Cat would come on for that run, whereas Baccarat was sharper. Having said that, Baccarat came out of that race particularly well and is unbeaten at Meydan, so he could be a serious player as well."

Super Saturday card