Rock ready to roll in Dubai
Last year’s Goodwood Cup winner, who was third at Royal Ascot, has had one start at Meydan already when staying on for fifth in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy.
Oxx’s assistant trainer Jim ’Slim’ O’Neill said: “His trainer will be here to watch him do his final gallop on Wednesday. You can forget his prep run when he was a good way off a very slow pace.
“He has improved from that and the further distance on Saturday will play more to his strengths.”
A field of 10 has been confirmed for the race which was controversially re-run later in the card last year after a fatal injury to Fox Hunt.
Among the runners include Aidan O’Brien’s fascinating Grand Prix de Paris winner Imperial Monarch, the mount of Ryan Moore, who steps up to the staying division.
Others of interest include Godolphin old favourite Cavalryman.
Meanwhile, Ryan Moore is expected to put versatile Japanese raider Taisei Legend through his paces later this week ahead of a tilt at the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
An outsider for the six-furlong dash, the six-year-old has been out of form in his couple of starts this year but won a valuable Japanese local-level Grade One at Kawasaki over seven furlongs last November.
