There are quality gallopers aplenty sprinkled across this Saturday’s (28 February) Dubai Super Saturday card, and it is a trio of Group 1 winners that catches the eye when assessing the four races to be simulcast from the United Arab Emirates.

Rebel’s Romance in the G2 Dubai City Of Gold (2410m) is the most notable of those, but it’s Walk Of Stars who carries the most impressive CV into the card’s richest contest, the AED1.7 million (approx. HK$3.62 million) G2 Al Maktoum Classic (2000m, dirt) at Meydan.

Victorious in the 2025 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge (1900m, dirt), the Bhupat Seemar-trained Walk Of Stars then finished fourth behind Hit Show in last year’s G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt) and has been in reasonable form since.

The galloper who beat Walk Of Stars at Meydan two starts back – Heart Of Honor – is again among his biggest challengers after the Jamie Osborne-trained four-year-old produced a last-start third in this year’s Al Maktoum Challenge when Walk Of Stars ran fifth.

Then there is Meydaan, the galloper who held his own in both the G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) last year in Australia, and could make his presence felt in a rare foray onto the dirt.

The presence of Rebel’s Romance in the Dubai City Of Gold gives this meeting real gravitas, and while he is now an eight-year-old and he is having his first start since running second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m) in November, he again shapes as very tough to beat.

A Group 1 winner at this course and distance in the 2024 Dubai Sheema Classic, Godolphin’s globetrotter continues to front up.

His opponents are interesting rather than particularly intimidating. Passion And Glory is now a 10-year-old but he did finish second in this race last year, while Fort George is in strong form and looks open to further improvement.

Star sprinter Tuz is the third standout runner on the card and Seemar’s veteran looks among the top chances in a G3 Mahab Al Shimaal (1200m, dirt) that features a Hong Kong flavour thanks to the presence of Chris So’s Sing Dragon.

Victorious in the 2024 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt), nine-year-old Tuz hasn’t been seen since April and his fitness will be a query.

The same cannot be said for El Nasseeb, who has won twice and placed second once from three starts this preparation and looks the most progressive horse in the contest.

Sing Dragon should also enter the race full of running after a last-start dirt 1200m second at Class 2 level in Hong Kong. To be ridden by Karis Teetan, the six-year-old winner of HK$10.53 million in prize money is on the road for the first time.

“I hope he can perform well. He must handle two things – track condition and running anticlockwise,” So said.

Also in the field is last year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen conqueror – knockout victor Dark Saffron.

After finishing second to Godolphin’s Nations Pride last year, the Karl Burke-trained Holloway Boy will again take aim at the G2 Singspiel Stakes (1800m). He joins Dividend and Alakazi among the top chances in a competitive, if not necessarily deep, edition of the contest.

Four races from Dubai’s Super Saturday fixture will be simulcast in Hong Kong, commencing with the Mahab Al Shimaal at 11.25pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 28 February.