IRISH interest in the big race, the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup (4pm), in the UAE today is provided by Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave. He will start from stall 12 with Ryan Moore in the saddle. The Wootton Bassett colt was twice group-placed last season including in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ahead of the draw, O’Brien said: “The horse had a good season last year, he handles fast ground and we were looking for opportunities to travel with him in his four-year-old year. There’s fantastic prize money here in Abu Dhabi and the logistics, with stabling at Meydan, have made it easy for us. Ryan Moore told me it is a very fair track with a beautiful surface.”