Godolphin looks set to begin its 1998 European Flat campaign with two runners on the opening day of the Guineas Festival meeting at Newmarket on Friday. The Dubai team is likely to launch its fifth season in Britain by running Mutawwaj in the Kuwait Green Ridge Stables Newmarket Stakes and giving a first start to the classicly bred Nasaayem.

But its final line-up for the key Sagitta 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas, likely to be spearheaded by Central Park and Cape Verdi, will not be announced until today.

Racing manager Simon Crisford will decide which of the six remaining Classic entrants will make the starting line-up this weekend.

"We hope to get the answers tonight and announce tomorrow what will run and who will ride them," he said.

"But at the moment it looks like Mutawwaj and Nasaayem will be our first runners.

"Mutawwaj has had a good winter and is capable of running a nice race while Nasaayem is a full sister to Harayir and we like her.

"These will probably be our first two runners but really its Saturday and Sunday that are the two big dates for us."

It was Cape Verdi who featured in the main betting exchanges on the 1,000 Guineas as she was cut to 2 to 1 favourite (from 5 to 2) by William Hill and is in to 9 to 4 (from 11 to 4) with the Tote.

Embassy, whose participation has still to be confirmed, is out to 14 to 1 (from 12 to 1) with the Tote.

Exclusive, now 12 to 1 with Ladbrokes from 14 to 1, was the only other filly to be cut in the betting. Loving Claim, for whom Olivier Doleuze was confirmed to replace Darryll Holland, is 11 to 2.

In the 2,000 Guineas Xaar is now a 5 to 6 chance with the Tote (from 4 to 5), while Haami on 20 to 1, Desert Prince 25 to 1 and Daggers Drawn 33 to 1 all drifted in the market.

Unless their is a significant change in the Newmarket going, which is now good after the first dry day of the month, Haami will carry Sheikh Hamdan Al-Maktoum's hopes with La-Faah waiting for the French equivalent.