Godolphin enter 26 runners in Dubai World Cup Carnival

Godolphin will look to extend their domination as champion Carnival owner to a fifth successive season after making 26 entries in the seven-race card for Thursday's event at Meydan Racecourse.

Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Godolphin have made a mammoth 26 entries across the seven-race card that is to usher in the $37,360 million (Dh137 million) 2013 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday.

Overall, there will be eight runners from Mahmood Al Zarooni's Marmoom Stables with the rest coming from Saeed Bin Suroor's Al Quoz facility as Godolphin bid to extend their domination as champion Carnival owner to a fifth successive season.

The international operation has entered four in round one of the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge, split evenly between Bin Suroor, who was champion Carnival trainer last season, and Al Zarooni, who was third behind Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

Al Zarooni has entered Firebeam, formerly trained in England by William Haggas, and Fulbright, who graduated through the Mark Johnston nursery in Middleham and joined Godolphin after signing off with a victory in a Group 2 at Newmarket in October for the Scottish trainer.

Both of Bin Suroor's charges have come through the Godolphin system, with Lockwood having been trained to a Group 3 success by Andre Fabre in France and Out Of Bounds having represented Darley in America when handled by Eoin Harty.

Bin Suroor has won the 1600m contest seven times with Frankie Dettori, who is currently starring in Celebrity Big Brother, the British reality television programme, in the saddle four times.

Following the success at Abu Dhabi on Sunday of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed aims to keep the momentum going with a slew of entries in round one of the Maktoum Challenge confined to Purebred Arabians.

Sheikh Khalifa enjoyed a double at the Equestrian Club and has entered 2009 Dubai Kahayla Classic winner Fryvolous, while Sheikh Mansour has entered five including Areem, the National Day Cup victor.

Follow us

and Geoffrey Riddle