Lucky Find continued his progress toward the Dubai World Cup with a decisive 2 1/4-length victory in Round 2 of the $200,000 Maktoum Challenge at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night.

The South African-bred Lucky Find had little difficulty overhauling the pacesetting Kandidate to win the Group 3 contest, clocking 1:49.06 for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast dirt track. Kandidate was a clear second, seven lengths in front of Imperial Star in third. West Virginia, making his first start since October 2006, was last of 12.

Fiesta Lady should once again get the better of her Saeed bin Suroor-trained stablemate Cocoa Beach as they renew their rivalry in the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas at Nad Al Sheba on Friday night.

The Argentine-bred Fiesta Lady, representing Godolphin, was an impressive 3 1/4-length winner over the ex-Chilean Cocoa Beach in a seven-furlong allowance on Jan. 17. Fiesta Lady should appreciate the added furlong of the Guineas more than her rival, who will carry the colors of Sheikh Mohammed's wife, Princess Haya of Jordan.

As Dubai awaits the imminent arrival of Curlin, winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic and early favorite for the Dubai World Cup, 12 pretenders to the throne of best dirt horse on the planet will line up at Nad Al Sheba Thursday night for Round 2 of the Group 3, $200,000 Maktoum Challenge.

Lord Admiral cruised home in the Group 3, $200,000 Al Rashidiya at Nad Al Sheba Thursday night, turning back the clock to give the legendary Vincent O'Brien a rare big-race victory as an owner.

In a new program designed to boost owners' earnings, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Inc., the body that runs racing in New Zealand, will pay jockeys' fees for more 70 percent of all races run in that country beginning on Friday, Feb. 1.

Johnny Murtagh has landed the plum job of first-string rider for Coolmore, the powerful John Magnier-led operation that operates out of Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard in Ireland.

The hiring, announced Tuesday in a release by Coolmore, comes in the wake of the 18-month suspension imposed last week by French racing authorities on Coolmore's previous first-string rider, Kieren Fallon, for cocaine use.

The local road to the $5 million Dubai Duty Free begins at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night with the Group 3 Al Rashidiya, a 1 1/8-mile turf race worth $200,000.

Jay Peg, the South African-bred winner of both the Cape Guineas and the Cape Derby in his homeland, has been attracting a lot of attention in the morning of late, but he must carry a penalty for those two Group 1 victories. He will be spotting his nine rivals six pounds while coming off losses in his last three tries against older horses.

Admire Moon, winner of the Dubai Duty Free, Takarazuka Kinen, and Japan Cup, was named Japan's Horse of the Year by the Japan Racing Association on Monday.

A son of End Sweep trained by Hiroyoshi Matsuda, Admire Moon was owned by Riichi Kondo until his June 24 win in the Takarazuka Kinen, after which he was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. After his triumph in the Japan Cup on Nov. 25, he was retired to stand at the sheikh's Darley Stud in Hokkaido.

Absolute Champion turned the tables on Sacred Kingdom, the world's top-rated sprinter, at Sha Tin on Sunday, defeating him by a short head in the $576,000 Centenary Sprint Cup, a Hong Kong Group 1 contest and the first leg of Hong Kong's Champion Sprint Series.

Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson is moving her tack to Hong Kong, at least for the remainder of the winter. The 26-year-old Canadian has been granted a license by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to ride in Hong Kong from Feb. 1 through April 2. She is slated to return to Canada for the opening of the Woodbine meeting on April 5.