Angus McNae's top tips for week six of the Dubai World Cup Carnival

This week’s Meydan card provides us with an intriguing surface switch for the top-class Benbatl in Round Two of the Al Maktoum Challenge (4.50).

Already a winner of an uncompetitive Singspiel Stakes this year, he switches to dirt in an experiment to discover whether he is a live contender for next month’s Dubai World Cup.

He is by Dubawi, which gives his supporters hope he will handle the surface , but the problem for him - as for so many surface switchers - will be the rhythm of the race.

The furious early gallop may catch him out and he could taste kickback for the first time. He would thrash his nine opponents if this was a turf race but it’s not, and we have seen many a good horse bomb out on this surface before.

I cite Masar, a future Derby winner as a prime example as he was thrashed here on the dirt the first, and only, time he ran on it.

Benbatl is one of my favourite horses and he could bolt up but there are too many doubts for me to support him on this occasion.

The rail will be out 12 metres on the turf, which means that it may be best to challenge towards the stands’ side in the home straight.

This will be particularly relevant in this turf sprint. There is a wide range of talent on show in this contest and Final Song is the class act in this field.

She failed to stay in the UAE 1000 Guineas on dirt and this switch to turf, and drop back in trip, looks ideal for her. She has some very strong juvenile turf form and if she can get anywhere near that level she will win this.

This filly steps back up to seven furlongs after running well over six furlongs on her seasonal reappearance at Meydan. That will have sharpened her up for this.

She was a bit unlucky in that contest as she raced on the far side, when on the day the stands’ side was favoured.

In the circumstances, I thought she ran a blinder and she looks sure to make her presence felt. She has won here before and clearly the track suits her well.

This horse posted a fast overall time and fired a fast closing 200 metres when winning here last time out.

He enjoyed the benefit of racing towards the stands’ side that day but the figures do not lie and I believe he is capable of an even better performance on Thursday under James Doyle.

He faces Ekhtiyaar, who was also impressive in a good time when winning here last time out, and they look set for a decent tussle.

Doyle is the leading rider at this year’s Carnival, with five wins, and will be well aware that getting across toward the stands’ side rail may be important.

Division two of this handicap is weak and Beyond Reason must go close.

She ran a blinder to be third in the Group Two Cape Verdi last time, which was won in a fast time, and now drops a furlong in trip and is down in grade. She can take advantage of her lenient looking mark of 100.

It’s worth remembering that she won the Group Two Prix Calvados as a two-year-old and on that basis this looks a good opportunity. She is trained by Charlie Appleby who had a treble at Meydan last week and is really rolling.