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Nayef may well have emerged as an early contender for the 2003 Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba in March following his courageous performance in winning the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York yesterday.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry on Tuesday admitted that Sakhee is not the same horse he was last year and dismissed any comparisons between Nayef and the great Nashwan.

Godolphin will be looking to revive their fortunes at York's three-day Ebor Meeting which opens today with the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes, one of the highlights of the popular Autumn racing calendar.

Purebred Arabian trainer Gill Duffield celebrated saddling her first winner in the Emirates at Friday's Jebel Ali race meeting and was quick to turn her thoughts to the prospect of winning some of the big races for the breed.

A great day for jockey Wayne Smith, who scored a winning double, turned into another outstanding one for leading owner Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum at Nad Al Sheba racecourse yesterday.

The old motto of following a class horse through the summer break was seen to good effect at Nad Al Sheba race course as the progressive State City hit form with a vengeance to win the featured Sheikh Saeed House Trophy yesterday.

Godolphin chase triple Group One victories at today's big meeting at the Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong, with success guaranteeing them their best ever season since the stable was launched eight years ago.

Godolphin might not have scaled the heights of their best-ever year, but the 2002 season saw the globe-trotting stable sustain a high-level of excellence and accomplishment with some greatly rewarding victories in eight countries.

Victory Moon gave champion South African trainer Mike de Kock the perfect Christmas present with a stirring performance in yesterday's first running of the Dhs 350,000 Al Nakhlee (Prestige) at Nad Al Sheba racecourse.

Mazin Al Kurdi, who has found Jebel Ali Racecourse a happy hunting ground this season, again played a starring role yesterday when winning his first Listed race in the UAE at the Emirates Airline race day.

Mazin Al Kurdi's winners are emerging one after the other. And the sight of the Millennium Stables handler excitedly running into the parade ring to bring them in should be enough to convince his rivals that he has genuine championship aspirations.

UAE national team soccer coach Roy Hodgson yesterday dismissed suggestions that he could succeed Mick McCarthy as Ireland manager, insisting: "I'm working here and I'm going nowhere."