Justenuffhumor faces tough Dubai task

Justenuffhumor makes his Dubai debut for trainer Saeed bin Suroor at Meydan on Friday night in the Group 2, $250,000 Al Fahidi Fort, a one-mile prep for the $5 million Dubai Duty Free.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Darley when he won both the Fourstardave and the Bernard Baruch handicaps at Saratoga last August, Justenuffhumor, a 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor, was switched to Godolphin before his sixth-place finish as the favorite in Keeneland's Shadwell Turf Mile. He returned to form with a fine third in the Breeders' Cup Mile, just 1 1/2 lengths behind repeat winner Goldikova.

Ensconced at Godolphin's Al Quoz training center since November, Justenuffhumor could hardly have been given a tougher spot for his return, as his 10 rivals in the Al Fahidi Fort are all stakes winners, seven of them at the group race level. Bronze Cannon has won two British Group 2's at 1 1/2 miles and may find a mile too short. Debussy took the 1 1/4-mile, Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam in France last summer. Premio Loco is a two-time Group 2 winner in Germany going a mile, and Fravashi is a seven-furlong Group 2 winner in Australia.

Fifth in last year's Duty Free, Bankable is Group 1-placed in Singapore, while Godolphin's Ibn Khaldun, winner of the one-mile, Group 1 Racing Post Trophy as a 2-year-old, will be making his first start since finishing 10th in the 2000 Guineas in May 2008.

Seeking a spot in the Dubai World Cup, Eagle Mountain, second in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Turf, returns from a brief two-month holiday in a one-mile Tapeta allowance worth $110,000. A 6-year-old trained by Mike de Kock, he ran only twice last year, most recently when fifth behind World Cup-bound Vision d'Etat in the Hong Kong Cup. Without a Prayer, twice a listed winner going a mile on Polytrack in England, will try to upset his plans.