| The National

Newbury, England// Flat racing in Britain clicks into gear and UAE-based owners look to have a strong hand in the Greenham Stakes, the first Group race of the British turf season for three-year-old colts.

Saeed Manana’s red and white colours will be carried in the Group 3 race over seven furlongs by Night Of Thunder, a winner at Listed level who will be partnered by Ryan Moore for trainer Richard Hannon.

Night Of Thunder, currently the UAE’s leading hope in the English 2,000 Guineas next month, was unbeaten in two starts on soft ground last season.

The fledgling axis between Qatar Racing and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s Essafinaat racing operation will be represented by Marco Botti’s Lat Hawill, ridden by Jamie Spencer, while Godolphin will rely on only Golden Town.

Silvestre de Sousa will be aboard Saeed bin Suroor’s sole runner, after Be Ready, widely considered Godolphin’s most serious Classic runner, was re-routed to the Craven Stakes at Newmarket next week.

Bin Suroor has never won the Greenham Stakes, and was hardly bullish about his chance yesterday. “Golden Town has done well over the winter and looks to have improved as a three year old,” he told the international stable’s website.

“He is taking on some tough opposition but we wanted to give him a chance in a Group race to decide where to aim him afterwards.”

Also in the nine-runner field lurks the much-vaunted Kingman, who, like 2011 winner Frankel, represents Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and beat subsequent UAE Derby third-place finisher Emirates Flyer on his final start in August.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, has four horses engaged in the inaugural Championships meeting staged At Royal Randwick, Sydney, this morning.

His quartet is led by Tupac Amaru and Gallatin, who take their chance AUS$ 2 million (Dh6.9m) Australian Derby.

sports@thenational.ae