Meydan tips: best bets on Dubai World Cup night

The consistent Commissioner King has standout claims in the opening race on the card.

A four-length winner over course and distance in the Group Three Burj Nahar last time, he is a likeable front-runner and has a plum draw to make use of his speed in stall one under the experienced Tadhg O'Shea, who has few peers at this track.

Although he was beaten by his re-opposing stablemate Mendelssohn Bay in the Firebreak Stakes in January, Commissioner King went far too hard out in front on that occasion, setting unsustainable fractions that ultimately saw him fade late on. The early tempo of the race was reflected by the winner's low Finishing Speed Percentage of 93.9%.

Prior to that, he had beaten Mendelssohn Bay comfortably when chasing home Dubai World Cup contender Imperial Emperor in the Al Maktoum Mile.

Whilst there are ten other horses to worry about in this race, they will all have to find a decent chunk of improvement should O'Shea's mount run to the figure he put up a month ago when last seen.

Joseph O'Brien's best chance in the opening turf contest according to the bookmakers is Al Riffa, who is a best-priced 6-4 to begin his 2026 campaign with a win.

He is the best horse on ratings and his efforts in defeat in the Hardwicke Stakes and Hong Kong Vase, plus his impressive Irish St Leger win all give him a good chance here, but he has not been seen for over 100 days and is yet to fully prove his stamina over two miles.

One horse that does arrive here match fit and makes a more convincing stamina prospect is his stablemate Sons And Lovers, who could be hard to peg back from stall two and has the added assistance of Ryan Moore in the saddle.

On his first start since September, he ran really well at Riyadh last time where he made the running and showed a smart turn of foot to land another Group Two, the Red Sea Turf Handicap, by half a length over the consistent Tabletalk.

With his two nearest market rivals drawn in the two widest stalls, he has to hold a strong chance of getting an uncontested lead, and providing he settles, could be a tough horse to pass at the business end of the race.

Japan have won each of the past four runnings of the UAE Derby and can do so again this year courtesy of the likeable Pyromancer.

Keiji Yoshimura's charge does not have an ideal draw, but I think he has enough speed and talent to overcome that, and he looks a far stronger stayer than Bhupat Seemar's Six Speed, who started life in sprints and is going up again by another furlong and a half here.

Three from three, the selection was really impressive on debut and has since shown his battling qualities, including last time in a local Grade One when the step down to a mile was unlikely to have been ideal, yet he still came out on top. This step back up in trip should see him to better effect and he can remain unbeaten under James Doyle.

John and Thady Gosden's high-class middle-distance performer is obviously the one they all have to beat in the Dubai Turf if he runs to the level he performed at throughout last year, but the Japanese contender Gaia Force is a serious performer and should be shorter in the market.

The striking seven-year-old grey ran well for the third successive year in the top-level Yasuda Kinen in June, achieving his best ever placing in finishing second.

After a summer break, he landed a Grade Two at Tokyo, before then finishing second in the Mile Championship at Kyoto In November, behind multiple Grade One hero Jantar Mantar and well ahead of the likes of last year's Dubai Turf winner Soul Rush and Docklands.

If he is ready to go here, he can give the favourite most to think about.