It is very difficult to envisage anything other than a second consecutive victory for Godolphin when the 13-strong field gather at around 5.30 p.m. Irish time today to battle it out for the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba.
The local confidence surrounding Dubai Millennium is building more and more as the clock ticks towards post time.
No matter who you talk to among Godolphin connections the message comes through loud and clear that the local operation reckon they have a superstar on their hands.
At a press conference on Thursday Sheikh Mohammed described the Seeking The Gold colt as "the best horse we have ever had at Godolphin".
"The way he carries himself, the way he trains he is the best."
High praise indeed for a horse who only recently contested a race on dirt for the first time and who last June was hyped for the Vodafone Derby only to finish unplaced behind Oath.
Since then, however, he has remained unbeaten and his impressive one-and-a-quarter-length victory in a course record time over one of his World Cup rivals Lear Spear on today's surface suggests that underfoot conditions will not prove a hindrance.
Dubai Millennium will certainly need to be at his best to beat what is still a quality field despite the defection of last year's runner-up Malek.
The United States contingent here are quietly confident of the chances of Behrens, trained by James Bond.
Britain's two runners Lear Spear and Running Stag have each had a recent outing on the track and will carry high hopes of a place at least in the £3,658,500 event with the latter's trainer Philip Mitchell convinced his charge will improve on the seventh place he achieved in last year's race.
"He is as well as he has ever been and I'm certain he can run into a place," said Mitchell.
The Dubai World Cup is the closing event of a seven-race card which features some interesting contests in their own right.
The UAE Derby has attracted a field of 16 chasing its prize of £304,835 and sees the reappearance of China Visit who has been heavily-backed for the Sagitta 2000 Guineas.
