The Queen Elizabeth II Cup, a 1 1/4-mile, $1.79 million race that has attracted a sterling field of 14 runners from six countries, must share Sunday's Sha Tin bill with Silent Witness, who goes for a modern record 17 victories without a loss in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup in his first try at seven furlongs.

With its labor problems temporarily resolved, Longchamp will be open Sunday for the seasonal debuts of European champions Bago and Divine Proportions.

NEW YORK - The race's name is an anachronism. Hardly more than 20,000 people ever turn out to see it run. It bares no resemblance to anything that looks like a horse race run in the United States.

Still, the 2000 Guineas Stakes, which will be run for the 197th time on the straight Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday, commands a place in the history of Thoroughbred racing to which few other races can aspire.

The overachieving Norse Dancer will seek his first Group 2 victory in the Sandown Mile at Sandown Park on Saturday. He will renew his rivalry with Hurricane Alan, whom he defeated by a neck in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket on April 13.

The road to the Epsom Derby begins in earnest at Sandown Park on Friday with the 53rd running of the 1 1/4-mile Group 3 Classic Trial Stakes. It would be surprising, though, if any of the participants in this renewal go on to classic glory.

Fracas, a son of In the Wings listed by Ladbrokes at 40-1, is the lowest-priced Derby entry in the Trial. He was a 1 1/4-mile maiden winner first time out at Leopardstown on April 10. Another son of In the Wings is Hearthstead Wings. A listed winner at Goodwood last summer, he was later third in the Group 1 Gran Criterium in Milan.

Deep Impact made a deep impression at Nakayama on Sunday with a 2 1/2-length victory in the $2.18 million Satsuki Sho, which serves as the 1 1/4-mile Japanese 2000 Guineas.

Indesatchel earned a late-running one-length victory over Johnny Jumpup in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

Sent from Ireland by trainer David Wachman for his first race away from home, Indesatchel came from behind under Jamie Spencer to earn a spot in the 2000 Guineas lineup at Newmarket on April 30. The even-money choice, Indesatchel covered the straight seven furlongs in 1:29.24 on good to soft ground.

Deep Impact, already being compared to Japanese Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf, promises to be a short-priced favorite in Sunday's $2.17 million Satsuki Sho, or Japanese 2000 Guineas, at Nakayama Racecourse near Tokyo.

Democratic Deficit, who came from Ireland, posted a 12-1 upset in the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday. Democratic Deficit avoided a traffic jam in the final stages to defeat the highly regarded and still-improving Rob Roy by a head, with Kandidate a short head farther back in third. Iceman, who like Rob Roy had little room through the last furlong, was fourth, a head behind Kandidate.

Thursday's Group 3 Craven Stakes, a one-mile Newmarket course-and-distance prep for the English 2000 Guineas on April 30, could feature as many as three group race winners in Montgomery's Arch, Etlaala, and Iceman, but only Montgomery's Arch is a definite starter.

Winner of the six-furlong Group 2 Richmond Stakes, Montgomery's Arch was a sharp third behind Shamardal in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

Etlaala, winner of the Group 2 Champagne Stakes, and Iceman, winner of the Group 3 Coventry Stakes, are also entered in Saturday's Greenham Stakes at Newbury.