The Englishman shared the halfway lead with countryman Tommy Fleetwood on 14 under par but put his foot to the floor in perfect scoring conditions on Saturday to hit the front on his own. Rai's last DP World Tour win came in Scotland in 2020, and he would double his tally of Rolex Series victories if he were to triumph at Yas Links on Sunday. Rai turned in 31 after picking up five shots on the front nine before adding further birdies at the 11th and 14th, with his only bogey of the day coming on the 17th. He had led by three during the closing stages of his round but a late bogey and strong finishes from the chasing pack ate into his advantage. His third-round 66 sees him go into Sunday's fourth round on 20 under par, one clear of nearest challengers Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard. “A really good round overall,” said Rai. “Drove it extremely well. Some really good iron play. Created a lot chances. Felt like I rolled it really well on the greens. A lot of putts had a good chance of going in. The wind definitely picked up for us on the back nine. Yeah, it played tricky out there, especially the back nine. I think as cliché as it sounds, you've got to try to stick to how you see the course, and if you play well, there are a lot of opportunities that naturally present themselves. But again, you have to be cautious. I think if you get too aggressive, if you put your foot down too much, it can also bite you really fast. When the scores are as low as what they are, if you drop one or two shots, it really feels like you're moving backwards. This is one of the biggest events we have on the DP World Tour. To win this week, to have a chance going into the weekend, is great. Still a long way to go and a lot of really good players. Yeah, we'll give it our best and see how it comes.” Two-time former champion Fleetwood made an eagle and three birdies in his flawless 67, while Højgaard's 65 featured eight birdies and one bogey. Spain's Nacho Elvira was another shot further back on 18 under after his birdie-birdie finish, with Englishman Andy Sullivan and Daniel Hillier of New Zealand in a tie for fifth place at 17 under. Focus now turns to Sunday's final round where the tournament celebrates Family Day at Yas Links. Families attending on 9 November can enjoy world-class golf alongside entertainment including free ice pops for children, live performances from LDN Romantic, arts and crafts, a magician, bubble show, face painting, balloon artists, golf simulators, long putt challenges, food and drink trucks, and live screens throughout the venue.