Goodwood, England: Dubai-owned Battaash and Profitable go head-to-head in the £300,000 (Dh1.45 million) Group 2 King George Stakes, the feature race on day four at Glorious Goodwood on Friday.

Battaash, an impressive winner of a Group 3 event at Sandown on his last start, represents Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, while Godolphin’s Profitable seeks his first win since he scorched home to win the Group 1 King Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.

They take on nine rivals headed by David Griffith’s ageless sprinter Take Cover, who is bidding for a third success in the five-furlong contest.

Charlie Hills, who trains the three-year-old gelding Battaash, will be hoping that the ground remains dry on the Sussex track following the lashing it got on Wednesday, the worst day weather-wise experienced on raceday.

The weather forecast for Friday is on Hills’ side and the ground is expected to improve to soft to good over the next couple of days.

Battaash was beaten on both previous starts on soft ground but his blistering performance at Sandown must boost Hills’ confidence.

In contrast, Profitable has decent form on soft ground and trainer Clive Cox will be hoping that his class will tell in what looks a rather weak renewal of the King George.

David Simcock has supplemented Glass Office, who represents Sussex Stakes-winning owner Fitri Hay, while Aidan O’Brien’s Washington DC is the lone Irish hopeful.

Last year’s Prix de l’Abbaye scorer Marsha, Final Venture, Kachy, Ardad, Kyllang Rock and Yalta complete the line-up.

The only withdrawal was the William Haggas-trained Muthmir, who won the race two years ago.

Shaikh Hamdan and Godolphin are also well-represented in the Mile Handicap, one of the most popular non-pattern type races in the UK.

Sir Michael Stoute and Jim Crowley team up with Shaikh Hamdan’s promising handicapper Mustashry, while Godolphin are three-handed with Blair House and G K Chesterton (Charlie Appleby) and Birchwood (Richard Fahey).

Favourites have not performed well in the mile-long contest, one of the most competitive races to take place during the five-day festival, which means the ante-post favourite Blair House will have to run a big race if he is to buck the trend.

Friday’s card also features two interesting Group 3 races over a mile, the one-mile Glorious Stakes for four-year-olds and the Thoroughbred Stakes.