Zabeel Mile highlights the third 2023 carnival card

The 45-year-old Englishman’s last t it le was in 2012, when he was t he wor ld’s t op-r anked golfer – he spent a combined 56 weeks as No. 1 in 2011-12 — and a regular winner on bot h sides of t he Atlantic

Migliozzi said: “It’s always nice to hole a golf shot, and it’s been a great day of golf. I played solid from tee-to-green. The eagle comes from a perfect driver in the middle of the fairway. The wind was hurting a litle bit from the let, and I just had like a three-quarter solid 50 degrees and the ball just bounced a minute and a half past the pin and then back into it.

“I played great. I’m happy that I’m playing solid from tee-to-green as well. I was looking for this last week for me as well. It’s been very important to test new equipment and new feelings on the course, and the work that I am doing and I did on the winter is working great.”

Lowry, the highest-ranked player in the field, and rejuvenated Italian Francesco Molinari, coming off a good week at the Hero Cup last week, were in a group on 5 under par ater 67s.

Fleetwood, who was playing on his 32nd birthday, shot 66 as did Henrik Stenson, playing his first event on the European tour since losing the Ryder Cup captaincy for joining LIV Golf six months ago.

Lee Westwood made 69 while fellow LIV golfer Patrick Reed shot even-par 72 to lie eight shots behind Donald, who said he was not surprised to go so low.

“Just kind of suits my eye,” he said. “It’s not too tight off the tee. You have to pick some good lines.”

Darkness descended on Yas Links with round one incomplete, therefore those still with holes to play will return on Friday to finish their rounds. There is no change to round two tee times.

DUBAI: Meydan Racecourse stages the third meeting of the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival on Friday evening, highlighted by the Group 2 Zabeel Mile which has atracted a quality field of eight, including no less than five Godolphin contenders, the owners seeking a fith consecutive and seventh success since 2015 in the 1600m turf feature.

Saeed Bin Suroor supplied the winner last year, Real World, ridden by Danny Tudhope and the trainer has three chances this year with no obvious ‘first string’ although the fact Pat Cosgrave partners Land Of Legends perhaps suggests the 7yo Iffraaj gelding is considered the main hope for the master of Al Quoz Stables.

Cosgrave’s mount won the 1400m Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort on his 2021 reappearance and was beaten less than two lengths, but only finishing ninth, on his return in the same race last year. He was then well beaten, over 1800m, on Super Saturday in the Group 1 Jebel Hata. He has been campaigned exclusively at Meydan since August 2019.

Pat Dobbs has picked up the spare ride on Bin Suroor’s Desert Fire, also starting for the first time this year and who runs in this having not atempted to defend his crown in last week’s 1800m Group 2 Al Rashidiya. The 8yo gelded son of Cape Cross has won over this course and distance, albeit only in handicap company, almost exactly four years ago.

The third runner from Al Quoz is the versatile Laser Show, returning from a long absence having not been seen in public for 859 days. Louis Steward partners the 6yo New Approach gelding who is actually seeking a third consecutive victory having won his two most recent appearances, both handicaps over 1600m, on fast ground at Newmarket and on the Chelmsford all-weather. The later, the last time he was seen on a racecourse, was in the middle of September 2020.

Bin Suroor said: “Desert Fire, Land Of Legends and Laser Show have been working well, but this looks a tough race for the three of them.

“Desert Fire has won over this course and distance in the past, so dropping back to a mile won’t be a problem, while Land Of Legends enjoys racing around Meydan.

“Laser Show has had soundness issues, which has kept him off the track for a long time, but I was pleased with his latest piece of work and he is ready to go again.”

Fellow Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby has landed this prize five times since 2015 and saddles two, William Buick opting to ride the classy Master Of The Seas with James Doyle aboard stable companion Modern News.

Buick’s mount, a 5yo son of Dubawi, was narrowly denied a 2000 Guineas victory at Newmarket in 2021 and won his only start of 2022 in the 1800m Group 3 Earl Of Seton Stakes, on the same track, ater a break of 178 days so his subsequent absence, 283 days, may well not be an issue.

Modern News has been off for 162 days, when he and Buick were runner-up in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury. The pair did win a 1600m Listed race at Windsor in early May last year.