Dubai: Haydock Park and Kempton Park, two of the UK’s oldest racecourses, stage their annual marquee meetings on Saturday, with several Dubai-owned horses holding leading claims in the feature races.

Haydock, the most visited racecourse in the country, stages the Betfred Sprint Cup — the track’s only Group 1 race, which is part of the British Champions Series.

With £260,000 (Dh1.46 million) up for grabs, the 1,200-metre contest traditionally attracts a top-class field of sprinters and this year is no exception, with 17 speedsters set to face the starter.

Adaay, who is trained by William Haggas for owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, shares favouritism with Danzeno, Michael Appleby’s stable star.

A classy three-year-old by Kodiac, Adaay can post a fourth win from five starts as he bids to preserve Shaikh Hamdan’s phenomenal success with his Classic generation this season.

Shaikh Hamdan’s retained rider, Paul Hanagan, has opted to ride Adaay in favour of Commonwealth Cup sensation Muhaarar, who earlier held an entry for the Sprint Cup.

On his most recent outing in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, Adaay showed plenty of character when battling gamely to see off King Richard III Stakes winner Coulsty. Haggas believes that the horse is a genuine Group race contender and is still learning.

Among the field are two former winners of the race, veteran sprinter Gordon Lord Byron and defending champion G Force.

Meanwhile, Kempton Park — which dates back to 1879 — stages a competitive afternoon’s racing featuring two Group 3 events, the September Stakes and Siriena Stakes. The former, a 2,400-metre contest that has been won the past two years by Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup (G1) hero Prince Bishop, has attracted a small but classy field of seven runners headed by Irish Derby (G1) star Jack Hobbs.

His trainer John Gosden is using Saturday’s race as preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp, Paris, on October 4.

Although it is a rather unconventional prep to see a Classic winner competing on Kempton’s all-weather surface, his jockey William Buick sees nothing wrong.

“He’s done very well for his break since the Irish Derby and it’s a nice step for him before the Arc,” he told Sporting Life.

“He doesn’t have to travel all the way to France to have a run. Kempton is only down the road and it’s a level, even surface — a surface he trains on most days.

“I think it’s a very good idea and he’s in good shape.”

The field also includes Fire Fighting, Niceofyoutotellme and Mutatis Mutandis.

Hughie Morrison saddles Arab Dawn, a Royal Ascot winner who fell short of expectations at York’s Ebor meeting, while the field is completed by William Knight’s Aussie Reigns.