Round Two Rematch For African Story & Prince Bishop

Time/Date - 21.40hrs local time/Thursday, February 5, 2015
Racecourse/Country - Meydan/UAE
Surface/Distance - Dirt/1m 1f 110y

African Story and Prince Bishop re-oppose in the Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge Round Two Empowered By IPIC, with Emirates Flyer also lining up for Godolphin in the extended nine-furlong dirt highlight at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, February 5.
Eight-year-olds African Story (Saeed bin Suroor/James Doyle) and Prince Bishop (Saeed bin Suroor/William Buick) raced against each other three times during the Dubai World Cup Carnival in 2014, the final year of Meydan's Tapeta course.
Prince Bishop came out on top twice with superb victories in this race, in which African Story was a length and a quarter back in second, and the 10-furlong Group One Al Maktoum Challenge Round Three Sponsored By Emirates Airline, when African Story could only finish eighth.
African Story gained his revenge with a stunning success in the Group One Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline, also over a mile and a quarter, with Prince Bishop coming home ninth after missing the break.
Prince Bishop subsequently made one appearance in the UK last year, readily winning the Group Three Totescoop6 September Stakes over a mile and a half on Polytrack at Kempton Park in September.
Four-year-old Emirates Flyer (Saeed bin Suroor/Adrie de Vries) made good late headway to take fifth on his first appearance of 2015 in the Group Two Al Maktoum Challenge Round One Presented By Longines Conquest Classic Moon Phase on dirt at Meydan on January 8.
He ran several excellent races on Tapeta at the 2014 Dubai World Cup Carnival, including when third in the Group Two UAE Derby Sponsored By The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group over nine and a half furlongs on March 29.
Saeed bin Suroor said: "African Story is making his first appearance since winning the Dubai World Cup and he has been working really well.
"We will have to see how he copes with the dirt but I am looking forward too seeing him back on a racecourse.
"Prince Bishop won Rounds Two and Three of the Maktoum Challenge last year but was disappointing in the Dubai World Cup, when he didn't start well.
"We gave him a break and then he won on the Polytrack at Kempton. He always tries his best in his races and has gone well fresh in the past.
"Emirates Flyer is coming up against some tough opposition again but we wanted to give him another chance in a race like this to see how he gets on. I am hoping for a good run."
African Story, Prince Bishop and Emirates Flyer oppose eight rivals including Surfer, Frankyfourfingers and Haatheq, who were first, second and third respectively in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round One and South American Group One winner Cooptado.
As well as with Prince Bishop, Godolphin has been successful in Round Two of the Al Maktoum Challenge with Cezanne (1994), Halling (1995), Larrocha (1996), Altibr (1999), Best Of The Bests (2001 & 2002), Moon Ballad (2003), My Indy (2009), Allybar (2010), Mendip (2012) and Hunter's Light (2013).