DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Cajun Beat worked alone under the lights at Nad Al Sheba on Monday night, preparing for Saturday's $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint here in the Middle East.
Whether he is alone at the finish of the six-furlong race depends largely on how he fares against four rival American shippers.
Roosevelt can finally confirm his high promise in the $1.8 million Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon.
The Hong Kong Group 1 contest has drawn a full field of 14 4-year-olds, among them two of Hong Kong's best milers in Lucky Owners and Tiber, but the derby's 1 1/4 miles seems better suited to the Danehill colt Roosevelt.
CHELTENHAM, England - For fans of jump racing, there is no greater event than the annual Cheltenham Festival, held each spring in England's beautiful Cotswold country. The festival offers a three-day banquet of 20 ultra-competitive races over fences and hurdles, nine of them Grade 1's, and this past Thursday a record crowd of 57,643 turned up to watch the 9-year-old Best Mate, Britain's most talented chaser, try to win his third straight Gold Cup, a feat no horse had accomplished since the beloved Irish-bred Arkle, known informally as Himself, pulled it off in 1966.
Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Cajun Beat had his first outing on Thursday morning on the Nad Al Sheba track, where he will vie for favoritism in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup Night next Saturday.
A 4-year-old son of Grand Slam, Cajun Beat was among the first of the 14 American invaders to the Emirates Racing Association's $15 million extravaganza to stretch his legs at Nad Al Sheba, and trainer Steve Margolis could not have been more pleased after watching him gallop.
Best Mate succeeded in winning his third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase on Thursday, but had to reach down deep for all of his considerable reserves to get the job done in one of the most dramatic of the Gold Cup's 77 runnings.
Given a ground-saving ride by Jim Culloty, Best Mate, the 8-11 favorite, was always traveling smoothly behind the pacesetting First Gold. Turning for home, however, Best Mate found himself hemmed in as Harbour Pilot ranged up alongside with just two fences to go.
Best Mate can write his name in the history books by winning Thursday's Cheltenham Gold Cup, the $630,000 steeplechase that the 9-year-old gelding has won in each of the last two years.
A third consecutive Gold Cup victory would mark the first time that achievement has been accomplished since the great Arkle turned the trick between 1964 and 1966. Best Mate will start at no higher than 1-2 on Thursday against nine rivals going 3 5/16 miles over 22 fences around picturesque Cheltenham Racecourse, which lies in the foothills of the Cotswolds about 100 miles northwest of London.
Silent Witness extended his unbeaten record to 10 races at Sha Tin on Saturday with a handy score in the Centenary Sprint Cup.
In defeating Cape of Good Hope by 2 1/2 lengths in the five-furlong, $577,350 sprint, the Australian-bred Silent Witness equaled the record for consecutive victories in Hong Kong set by Co-Tack in 1983. Sent off at less than 1-5, he led all the way in this second leg of the Hong Kong Sprint Championship, covering the distance in 56.20 seconds.
Ever wonder what became of stamina in the American Thoroughbred?
On Friday, Gulfstream and Santa Anita, venues for the two leading meetings currently being conducted in these United States, ran a total of 18 races, the average distance of which was just 6.2 furlongs. Even the trotters can get farther than that.
Silent Witness should make it 10 victories without a defeat when he tackles nine rivals in the Group 1, $577,350 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on Saturday.
The five-furlong turf dash is the second leg of the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Champion Sprint Series. Silent Witness won the first leg, the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy, by 2 3/4 lengths from Firebolt and Cape of Good Hope on Feb. 1. Those two oppose Silent Witness again with no better chance of reversing their fortunes.