BBC to show World Cup live

Willie Carson arrived in Dubai yesterday for his first major assignment in his new role as TV pundit. The BBC won the race to show live the rearranged running of the Dubai World Cup, and will do so tomorrow afternoon as part of their Aintree coverage, with the former jockey as their man in the paddock, reports Sue Montgomery from Dubai.

The timing of the $4m race, abandoned last Saturday because of heavy rain, has been brought forward to 4.30pm British time to fit in a 15-minute slot after the Glenlivet Anniversary 4-y-o Hurdle.

The track at Nad Al Sheba was re-opened yesterday morning, just three days after it was all but washed away by the mother of all thunderstorms. The sun here has shone unblinkingly since Saturday, to the delight of the trainers of the 12 horses who have stayed on to run for the sport's richest purse. Richard Mandella, in charge of American challengers Siphon and Sandpit, said: "I would almost say the rain did it good. It looks better than before the storm. Now all we want to do is get the game under way.''

Most of the candidates for tomorrow's big race tested the surface out yesterday.

Sheikh Mohammed's Sings-piel, who breezed half a mile at his owner's private Al Quoz training track yesterday, is now the leading European in Ladbrokes' reformed market. The firm bets: 11-4 Siphon, 7-2 Sandpit, 4-1 Formal Gold, 8-1 Kammtarra, Flemensfirth, 14-1 Key Of Luck, 20-1 Hokuto Vega, 33-1 Bijou d'Inde, Luso, Even Top, 40-1 Juggler.