Legendary British trainer Sir Michael Stoute is set to be represented by Spanish Moon in the Dubai Sheema Classic, sponsored by Nakheel, on March 28.
Stoute has only saddled six runners in the UAE, but has a formidable record having sent out Singspiel to win the 1997 Dubai World Cup and Fantastic Light to land the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2000.
The five-year-old has only raced nine times, winning on four of those occasions, including an easy victory in a 2400m Listed race at Kempton in the UK last time up.
Owned by Khalid Abdulla, the son of El Prado is expected to head out to the UAE this weekend in company with Richard Hannon's Dubai Duty Free candidate Paco Boy.
Fellow Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani is likely to have two runners in the US$5m race, with dual Dubai International Racing Carnival winner Presvis and the top-class Purple Moon winner ready to line up.
Ryan Moon rode Presvis to both his easy wins at Nad Al Sheba but would be claimed by Stoute to ride Spanish Moon, forcing Cumani to look elsewhere for a rider.
"Presvis has been invited for both the Sheema Classic and the Dubai Duty Free," the trainer told the Racing Post.
"We won't make a decision until we have to as regards which race he will go for but my concern is that he's stepping out of handicaps into Group 1 races.
"If he ran in the Sheema Classic we would need a new jockey and the Duty Free would mean a drop back in trip."
Stablemate Purple Moon, a short-head second to Doctor Dino in the Hong Kong Vase in December, was fourth in the Dubai City of Gold on his UAE debut earlier this month.
