Dubai Millennium

With the Saudi Cup card taking top billing among this weekend's Gulf action, Friday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan has a quieter look than its predecessors in recent weeks, with just one black-type event. Godolphin holds a strong hand in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. named for its 2000 G1 Dubai World Cup winner and contested over 2000 metres on the grass, and its four runners-two apiece for Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor-are headed on ratings by Appleby's 6-year-old Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the...

Strip away the brass name plates, parade the Darley stallions in front of seasoned horsemen and ask them to pick the horse who last year sired three Breeders' Cup victors among 38 stakes winners and was the broodmare sire of the Derby winner. Of those who haven't seen him before, it is unlikely that many would choose Dubawi (Ire). Unlike his sire, the brilliant but ill-fated Dubai Millennium (GB), he is not a horse who 'fills the eye' with those long classic lines and fluent stride. On the short side...

Before we go any further, let's just make one thing clear: for all the excitement of Saturday and the fact that the Oaks and the Derby were even able to take place this year, let's not lose our heads and start to think that they should in future take place on the same day in July. They should not. This is an extraordinary year for one big reason beyond our control and it should remain just that. Right, where were we? Ah, Epsom. I'll go to my grave failing to...

   On the 20-year anniversary of Dubai Millennium's track record-setting victory (a mark that still holds today) in the Dubai World Cup, Tom Frary looks back on the legendary performance by the storied horse. As the final Saturday in March 2000 slipped into evening, an already exhilarated Nad Al Sheba gathering waited with a mix of eagerness and angst for the main event. The fifth running of the $6-million G1 Dubai World Cup featured a beautiful, inspiring bay colt with an edict placed upon him by the talismanic Sheikh Mohammed...