Johnny Murtagh is looking forward to teaming up with Mike de Kock at the Dubai World Cup meeting at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday.
The Irish ace has four rides for the South African trainer, culminating in Asiatic Boy in the big race.
He will also partner Art Of War in the Godolphin Mile, Bankable in the Dubai Duty Free and King Of Rome in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
‘Asiatic Boy is a warrior,’ said Murtagh.
‘He goes on the track, he goes on the dirt, he stays the trip well. If he runs like he did last year, he will be exciting.
‘Art of War is improving all the time. He got beaten here the first day I arrived, but he won then by seven lengths next time out. He is straight forward, solid and will be there.
‘Bankable was very impressive first time out and would have come on from that run a lot.
‘He's a horse I like and he has a good turn of foot. It's a good race, very competitive, but this race will tell us how good he is.
‘We'll know where he stands in the pecking order after this one.
‘Similarly with King Of Rome. Mike was very impressed with him last time. He's by Montjeu, so he stays the mile and half well.
‘He's another horse that will have improved after his last run. It will tell us where he is.’
Murtagh also has a fancied ride on Hammadi for Doug Watson in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
‘He won the Jebel Ali sprint, but the Americans are always tough to beat,’ he remarked.
‘I've got plenty of good rides, but it is one of those weekends you could have three winners or three seconds.’
Looking further ahead, Murtagh is excited about another successful season as stable jockey to Aidan O'Brien.
‘I haven't been to Ballydoyle yet, but Aidan brought forty horses to the Curragh last week,’ Murtagh said.
‘They all seemed to be in good form, are all well. They got a bit tired on the heavy ground, but we have a lot of nice three-year-olds, unexposed.
‘Hopefully there will be a champion amongst them. They will now have to go to the trials - I suppose the horse everyone talks about is Mastercraftsman, a dual Group One winner.
‘I rode him at the Curragh last week and he is in good form. He has five weeks to the 2000 Guineas now and that should be about right.
‘Rip Van Winkle, he is another one this year who is very exciting, and of course Fame and Glory, who won at Saint-Cloud last year.
‘They are the three everyone knows about, but hopefully we have some dark horses that have won their maiden or have run well as two-year-olds.
‘As to the older horses, we have Septimus there and Yeats.
‘We are looking forward to a fourth Ascot Gold Cup and, looking at him last Saturday, he certainly didn't look like an eight year old.’
‘When I get home we have a lot of exciting horses and I think by mid-May we will know where we are.
‘I am just very lucky to be working with that team.’
