Mark Riley is confident his in-form Victorian raider Gold In Dubai can emerge as this year’s Grafton Cup winner on Thursday after the five-year-old came up with an ace barrier draw for the Listed feature.

Running at Grafton on Thursday as the second major feature of Australia’s richest regional racing festival, the XXXX Gold July Carnival, the $150,000 Grafton Cup (2350m) drew a final field of 15 gallopers with one of the early favourites Gold In Dubai drawing to perfection with barrier four.

“Barrier four, I’m absolutely rapt,” Riley said.

The Desert Sun gelding comes into Thursday’s showdown on the back of two excellent runs in Queensland and sits on the third line of Grafton Cup betting behind the Brian Guy-trained Shuffle The Cash and Chris Waller’s Melbourne Cup-bound The Verminator.

After finishing well back in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) in their Brisbane debut at Eagle Farm on June 4, Gold In Dubai found their feet next start when winning the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) by an easy two and a half lengths on June 18.

Next start they jumped up in the weights from their Ipswich Cup winning weight of 54.5kg to 57kg for the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on June 2.

In a brave run, Gold In Dubai was narrowly beaten into second place when finishing a short-neck away from Caloundra Cup winner Spechenka.

“The horse has done enormous since Caloundra,” Riley said.

“He worked sensational up there the other day.”

Now on Thursday Gold In Dubai will target a second Cups victory this season, Riley hoping to see enough in the Grafton Cup to warrant targeting his new-found stayer for the Melbourne Spring Carnival features.

“Who knows, he might even turn into a Melbourne Cup horse,” Riley said optimistically.

“He’s seasoning now after coming off a sprinting preparation.”

Gold In Dubai will be just the second Grafton July Carnival runner for Riley in three decades, who was represented for the first time in 30 years last year.

The Mornington-based trainer also shared the 1978 Ramornie Handicap success of Mistress Anne, who was trained by his now 78-year-old father Martin.

“This is the best chance I’ve ever had to win a Grafton Cup,” Riley said of Gold In Dubai.

“It would be a fantastic homecoming.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Grafton with a very good Cup chance.

“Until last year, I hadn’t been to a July Carnival for 30 years.”

The horse that defeated Gold In Dubai last start, Beaudesert galloper Spechenka shares the equal Grafton Cup top-weight of 57kg with Gold In Dubai and Shuffle The Cash.

The Verminator has drawn wide with barrier 11 but carries just 54kg with Glyn Schofield in the mount while Lonhro four-year-old Summarise has the inside running from barrier one and will be ridden by this year’s Stradbroke Handicap-winning jockey Jason Taylor.

2011 WYKES Tyrepower Grafton Cup Final Field & Barriers

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	0696312012	GOLD IN DUBAI	Mark Riley	Michael Walker	4	57kg	94
2	2041227152	SHUFFLE THE CASH	Bryan Guy	Michael Rodd	10	57kg	94
3	11151X2071	SPECHENKA	Ben Ahrens	Ryan Wiggins	5	57kg	94
4	3211X62211	THE VERMINATOR	Chris Waller	Glyn Schofield	11	54kg	88
5	X536220393	LITTLE STRANGER	Brian Smith	Chris Munce	13	53.5kg	87
6	31149X5241	SUMMARISE	Stephen Theodore	Jason Taylor	1	53kg	78
7	X8099X9606	TWO TOWERS	Wanda Ings	Peter Wells	6	53kg	77
8	6980480615	WARRIOR WITHIN	Bruce W Hill	Paul Hammersley	9	53kg	77
9	86121X2107	ARCENCIEL (NZ)	Yves Seguin	Scott Seamer	15	53kg	75
10	555X11X403	KING OF THE NILE	Joanna Methven	Nathan Thomas	7	53kg	74
11	4630X00681	INTERLOCKING (NZ)	Troy Hall	Terry Treichel	2	53kg	70
12	8487743615	CIRCLE OF FAME	Ruth Cooper	Robert Thompson	8	53kg	69
13	X039431764	BLACKETT STREET	Fred Cowell	Timothy Bell (a)	3	53kg	66
14	21335X2142	RODEO PLAYBOY	John B Scott	Ben Looker (a)	14	53kg	61
15	X075924561	NORTEPOPPY	Alan Ryan	Dale Spriggs (late alt)	12	53kg	58