Run over the same course and distance as the G1 Dubai World Cup, the final leg of the Al Maktoum Challenge sees Godolphin's African Story (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) face the starter for the second time since causing an upset in the world's richest race last year. The 8-year-old will need to show some significant improvement from his seasonal reappearance in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, where he was never a challenge for Salem bin Ghadayer's progressiveFrankyfourfingers (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}). African Story remains the highest-rated in the field by a comfortable margin and will no doubt have come on for the run.
Frankyfourfingers has not finished out of the money since August 2013, and while he only raced on turf in his home country, he has taken a clear liking to Meydan's dirt surface. He always looked in control when making all in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 last time out and scored by a head from last year's Round 3 winner Prince Bishop (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Le Bernardin (Bernardini) a further 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Both horses re-oppose here, and the former looks a particularly strong contender as he hadn't raced since winning a Group 3 event at Kempton in Sept. 2014.
The Doug Watson-trained pair Storm Belt (More Than Ready) and Henry Clay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) show similar profiles, having both posted impressive handicap victories over course and distance last time out, and both facing Pattern company for the first time. Toolain (Ire) (Diktat {GB}) also won at handicap level in January, and was 1 1/4 lengths behind Storm Belt on his latest outing. Frankyfourfingers' stable mate Long River (A.P. Indy) makes his first start in the UAE–he was last seen when a close third in the G2 Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland, in the Godolphin silks and the care of Kiaran McLaughlin.
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