Godolphin's Sharestan won the trial for this in very impressive fashion and the former John Oxx-trained entire will attract strong support and will take some beating. However, the runner-up that day, SO BEAUTIFUL, is taken to reverse the form despite having 4l to make up. Doug Watson's colt, a Group 3 winner at Longchamp in June, looked more in need of the run than the winner and came from a long way back in a slowly-run race so the expected fast gallop should suit him better and he looks the one to be on. Aesop's Fables won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly for Andre Fabre and though that wasn't the best race of its kind ever run there should still be more to come from the lightly-raced Godolphin entry, who also have last year's runner-up City Style in the line-up. Derbaas is a Group 2 winner on this track and can never be ruled out, especially as he arrives in good form having scored twice at Abu Dhabi recently, while The Apache has been racing in smart company in South Africa and is expected to do well at the Carnival. Albaasil is a classy performer at his best though he hasn't been seen since last March.
