Dubai: It was in the year 2000 that the Dubai Golden Shaheen was thrown open to international challengers and ever since, the American raiders have dominated and joined the inseparable partnership between the Dubai Golden Shaheen and Gulf News.
Though it is the Dubai World Cup which overshadows all other races on the big night, the Dubai Golden Shaheen is the equivalent of the 100 metre-dash in the Olympic Games and thus has its own appeal.
With $1 million (Dh3.67 million) on offer for this sprint as Listed race in 2000, the Americans moved in and Big Jag made a sensational start to what has become an American-dominated race. Winning with a track record time, Big Jag opened the doors to a string of champion sprinters from the US, who came, saw and conquered.
The race itself, which has been supported by Gulf News, earned Group 3 status the very next year with the prize money being doubled to $2 million. In 2002, this sprint race gained Group 1 status and Caller One became the first horse to win back-to-back races in a Dubai World Cup meeting.
Barring State Shinto's win in 2003, every sprint on the big night has been won by American raiders and looks like going the same way this year too.
For heading the 13-strong field in the battle for 'Champion Sprinter' is the highly-rated Indian Blessing from Bob Baffert's yard. Another US horse, Marchand D'Or, returns after his eighth place finish to last year's American winner Benny The Bull while Rashed Al Bouresly's Star Crowned, third in that race also re-opposes.
Godolphin's Diabolical, seventh last year, is also in the fray and Saeed Bin Suroor will be looking to win only for the second time. Lanfranco Dettori, who is likely to ride Diabolical, managed to win this race but on an American raider Kelly's Landing for trainer Eddie Kennelly. That win earned Dettori the distinction of having won all six races for thoroughbreds on Dubai World Cup night.
In the Mahab Al Shamal (Group 3) on Super Thursday, the race which points towards the Golden Shaheen, Bin Suroor's Gayego won but will now run in the UAE Derby which leaves Big City Man from Jerry Barton's Yard as another strong contender. Big City Man had impressed with his two wins prior to that second behind Gayego.
Apart from Star Crowned, Ali Rashid Al Raihe's Change Alley and Rod Simpson's 'veteran' campaigner Balthazaar's Gift are in the fray while Doug Watson's Hammadi quickly returns after winning the Jebel Ali Sprint on March 20 along with stablemate Force Freeze.
With a few other international raiders in the fray, a winner's purse of US$ 120,000 awaits the new 'Sprint Champion.'