THE first months of the Dubai Carnival went very much under the radar this year with little Irish success, few star performances, and generally a lack of top class performers.

However, things pick up considerably this weekend and the Group 1 races have a world championships feel to them.

The pace quickens up with the Group 1 Al Quoz Spint, a clash of top sprinters from all over the world with Ireland’s Sole Power taking on Peniaphobia from Hong Kong, Green Mask from the US and Via Africa from South Africa. Next up are Hong Kong’s Lucky Nine, the now American Rich Tapestry and Secret Circle on the dirt in the Golden Shaheen.

The middle distance races have smaller fields but that should leave no hard luck stories.

Although he is the only European Group 1 winner in the field, The Grey Gatsby may be vulnerable to fitter horses over a mile and one in the Duty Free.

The Shema Classic has top horses in contention but also sets two of the top jockeys in the world, Ryan Moore and Joao Moreira against each other on two of the world’s top horses, Harp Star and Designs On Rome which is a treat in itself and with the top US turf performer Main Sequence bidding for six in row with his late run. Moore replaces Yuga Kawada on the Japanese filly who finished sixth under a poor ride behind Treve in the Arc. The French duo Dolniya and Flintshire put up the European defence.

The finale, the Dubai World Cup, sees a star American horse back as the main attraction.

The clash of the Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome with the Japan Cup winner Epiphanea and top Japanese dirt horse Hokko Tarumae, as well as local favourite, the 2014 winner African Story, makes for an intriguing World Cup and well worth tuning in for on TG4 later in the afternoon.