Specialist Big City Man ready for straight duel

London: Sporting bandages on all four legs, the Jerry Barton-trained sprinter Big City Man was a clear favourite when going to post for the Al Shindagha Sprint (G3) on January 22.

An imposing son of Northern Afleet, the US import had been a smooth winner of the Keeneland Trophy, also at Nad Al Sheba, two weeks earlier, and he followed up with a gutsy win in the Al Shindagha.

However, in the Mahab Al Shimal (G3) on Super Thursday, Godolphin's Gayego got the better of Big City Man. Barring that loss by three-fourth of a length, Barton's star heads confidently into the six-furlong Golden Shaheen (G1) while Gayego will start in the Godolphin Mile (Group 2) over a mile. Although he clearly hit form early in the year, Big City Man is a horse that we may not yet have seen the best of.

Now a four-year-old, the colt was making only his sixth career start when winning the Al Shindagha, and he has lost only twice. The Al Shindagha, won by Asiatic Boy last year, brought together an interesting and mixed field of 12. Big City Man ran out a near length winner from the consistent sprinter Star Crowned, who has franked the form with two good runs since.

Like a proper speedball should, Big City Man broke well from gate six and was part on the pace scenario throughout. Star Crowned threw down a serious challenge in the closing stages but Big City Man had all the answers.

The Mahab Al Shimal loss was only his second, the first when finishing second on his debut as a juvenile at Calder Racecourse in Florida back in May 2007.

Geir Stabell is the editor of www.globeform.com