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Muntazah, one of the top horses in Dubai and arguably one of the best dirt milers in the world, is currently training well toward his 2020 debut for trainer Doug Watson.

The imposing son of Dubawi was last seen finishing third as the favourite in the G2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night and is again pointing toward the world's richest race meeting.

"You have to look at Muntazah as the best horse in the barn and hopefully he comes back well this season," Watson said.

"I don't think we were quite 100% after winning on Super Saturday and setting a track record, but he ran great on the night considering it was just three weeks after such an effort.

"We'll look at Round 1 with him and hope that he's good enough eventually for the World Cup in March.

"He's a very nice, very talented horse. We are trying to peak him at the right time this year and keep him in one piece."

Last season the 6YO won the G3 Firebreak Stakes and G3 Burj Nahaar in February and March winning the latter by 10 lengths in a course record-crushing time of 1:34.99 (previous standard 1:36 flat).

The G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 is scheduled over the same 1600m on January 9. He was third in the race last year.