Irish 1,2,3 in Meydan Sprint

The Mick Halford-trained Invincible Ash (20-1), ridden by Jamie Spencer, just pipped Edward Lynam's Sole Power by a short head with the David Marnane trained Noctural Affair a further half a length back in third for an Irish one-two-three in the Meydan Sprint.

Elsewhere Capponi staked his claim for the Dubai World Cup with an emphatic victory in Round Three of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on "Super Saturday".

A former handicapper when trained by Mark Johnston and successful twice at that level over a mile and a quarter on his previous two starts, the five-year-old put his rivals to the sword by four lengths in the Group One contest.

Ahmed Ajtebi took the bull by the horns when he set sail for home on the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained entire before the turn into the straight after sharing the early lead with Treble Jig.

Capponi (9-1) galloped on relentlessly to win decisively by four lengths from Silver Pond with Prince Bishop further back in third.

Ajtebi told At The Races: "I've been thinking of the World Cup and hopefully tonight this horse has qualified.

"I've been watching his last three races and Frankie (Dettori) told me all about him and just said to ride him as you find him.

"He set a fast pace and kept going."

The other Group One race on the card was more of a surprise as Master Of Hounds (16-1) made all the running to take the honours in the Jebel Hatta.

His trainer Mike de Kock also saddled the favourite Mutahadee, who had to settle for third, behind his stablemate.

Kevin O'Shea got the best out of the former Aidan O'Brien-trained Master Of Hounds to upstage his better-fancied stablemate.

City Style, representing the Al Zarooni stable, split the De Kock duo, and was three-quarters of a length behind the winner.

Wigmore Hall and Presvis were both well beaten, along with Dubawi Gold.

De Kock had earlier struck with Mickdaam, who was a ready winner of the Al Bastakiya in the hands of Christophe Soumillon.

"I think he'll get a mile and a half in time. He looks really well and was a May foal so he was probably immature last year," said the South African trainer.

"The sun on his back has done him the world of good and he's started to grow and he's really put on a bit of muscle."

Mikhail Glinka (14-1), trained by O'Brien to win a Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot in 2010, made every yard of the running under Royston Ffrench in the Dubai City Of Gold.

The likes of Cavalryman, Campanologist and Songcraft threw down late challenges but Herman Brown's five-year-old stuck his neck out gamely to hold on from Cavalryman in the Group Two event.

Frankie Dettori struck on African Story (5-1) for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor in the Group Three Burj Nahaar.

Odds-on favourite Musir was only third as African Story, who was always handy, hit the front over a furlong out and forged clear of Snaafy in second place.

"What I like about African Story is that he always tries hard," Bin Suroor told www.godolphin.com.

"This is his second victory at Meydan in 2012 and he keeps improving.

"African Story shows class in the mornings and Frankie Dettori rode him with a lot of confidence.

"Now we will take him to the Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night."

Kieren Fallon's bold move to kick on some way out paid off as the Fawzi Nass-trained Krypton Factor (5-1) took the Group Three Mahab Al Shimaal from the David Barron-trained favourite Hitchens.