With Nad Al Sheba now officially history, the 2009-2010 Emirates Racing Authority season will be highlighted by the opening of the new state-of-the-art Meydan Racecourse on Jan. 28 with the running of Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge, the first local prep for the Dubai World Cup, which will be run March 27.

Normally, Nad Al Sheba would have opened for business in November, but the Meydan grandstand will not be completed until after the new year. The Meydan racing surfaces, however, will be completed in time for training on Oct. 31.

Deauville will host its first Win and You're In Breeders' Cup race on Sunday when the winner of the Group 1, $287,000 Prix Maurice de Gheest will automatically qualify for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Three Group 1 winners are included among the 12 who will go forward in the straight 6 1/2-furlong dash, but any one of seven could win without causing a surprise.

Goldikova's handy victory in the $360,000 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday echoed her scintillating performance in the Breeders' Cup Mile last autumn and left no doubt that she is back at her best. In winning her second Group 1 mile in succession, she became the first filly to win the Rothschild, known as the Prix d'Astarte until last year, twice in a row.

Midday took advantage of a midafternoon rainstorm that softened the turf at Goodwood on Saturday to win the $329,000 Nassau Stakes.

Third last time on heavy ground in the Irish Oaks to Sariska, the same filly that had beaten her by a head in the English Oaks, Midday was going away at the end of this 1 1/4-mile Group 1, ultimately beating Rainbow View by 2 1/4 lengths.

Goldikova will attempt to build on her July 8 win in the Falmouth Stakes when she runs Sunday at Deauville in the $351,000 Prix Rothschild, a straight Group 1 mile for fillies and mares.

Moneycantbuymelove can improve off a pair of sharp listed race scores to take the Group 1, $327,000 Nassau Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile race at Goodwood on Saturday.

Trained by Michael Bell, Moneycantbuymelove won her maiden winning the Height of Fashion Stakes over the Nassau course and distance in May before cutting back to a mile to take the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot last month.

Escaping from the shadow of Sea the Stars, Rip Van Winkle emerged to win the $493,000 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday, handing Paco Boy a resounding 2 1/2-length defeat in this key Group 1 mile.

Harbinger continued Michael Stoute's hot streak at Goodwood on Tuesday with a convincing score in the Group 3, $115,000 Gordon Stakes, an early 1 1/2-mile prep for the classic St. Leger Stakes. Last year, Harbinger's stablemate Conduit won both those races and went on to win the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Ghanaati, the brilliant winner of the 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes, takes on older colts at Goodwood on Wednesday in a first-rate renewal of the $494,000 Sussex Stakes, the first of four key weight-for-age Group 1 European miles leading to the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Described by Barry Hills as the best filly he has ever trained, Ghanaati took the Guineas in stakes- record time on May 3. Seven weeks later, she looked even better when slamming French 1000 winner Elusive Wave and Irish 1000 winner Again in Royal Ascot's Coronation Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien did what comes naturally to him on Sunday, winning the Group 1, $319,000 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh for the 10th time in the last 12 years with Alfred Nobel. The 5-4 Danehill Dancer colt slogged his way through heavy ground to defeat his Ballydoyle stablemate Air Chief Marshal by a half-length, taking 1:20.32 to travel the swampy six furlongs.