Racecourses in Wales, Scotland, Ireland & Germany have all played host to Defoe during his 19 race career, and now the G1-winning grey will leave Europe for the first time as a six-year-old, with the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic his target at the end of March.

Defoe's campaign in the UAE will hopefully begin on March 7th in the G2 City Of Gold Stakes - won last year by the very useful Old Persian - before moving on to the Sheema Classic on March 28th.

Having made his G1 breakthrough in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby weekend Defoe followed up in the G2 Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, before his season was cut short after a below-par run in Ascot's G1 King George. The Melbourne Cup had come under consideration for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's gelding at the start of the season, but having won his Group 1 his lofty mark would have made things very tough down under, and instead he's had a good break before he heads over to the UAE.

The yard's other G1 winner in 2019 was Zabeel Prince, and he too had Dubai as his aim until unfortunately not quite pleasing Roger enough to be prepared for the G1 Jebel Hatta & potential shot at the G1 Dubai Turf on World Cup night.

Roger most famously tasted success at the World Cup meeting with the high-class Postponed in the Sheema Classic, a race he also prepared for by winning the City Of Gold.