Stavros Niarchos lives!

The late Greek shipping magnate made his first big international splash in racing when Miesque, winner of both the English and French 1000 Guineas, won consecutive Breeders' Cup Miles in 1987 and 1988. Horses owned by Niarchos won 11 European classics from 1982 to his death in 1997. Among them were Hector Protector, Kingmambo, Hernando, Spinning World, and Miesque's best daughter, East of the Moon, the only filly to pull off the French 1000 Guineas/French Oaks double in the last 25 years.

Victory Moon is capable of turning the tables on State Shinto in Round 2 of the Group 3 Maktoum Challenge at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night.

A South African-bred and trained colt, Victory Moon was a fast-closing third to State Shinto in the mile-long Round 1 of the series, which establishes the local candidates for the Dubai World Cup on March 27. Victory Moon, a son of Al Mufti, will appreciate the added furlong of Round 2, which carries a purse of $200,000.

Catstar, a Storm Cat filly running for the first time since June, was a comfortable winner of the UAE 1000 Guineas at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday night. She set the pace under Frankie Dettori and finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Menhoubah in a field of eight.

All four runnings of the race have been won by fillies owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Although the race does not carry international stakes status, the winner earned $162,500.

Godolphin's runners flopped in the UAE 2000 Guineas at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday, when the Argentine-bred Little Jim made off with that Group 3 mile. But it was the brilliant South African champion National Currency who stamped himself as an international threat with a big win in the listed Al Shindagha Sprint.

Newmarket Racecourse has received planning permission to install a dirt track to run alongside its hallowed Rowley Mile Course. Given the go-ahead on Thursday by the local Forest Health District Council, track officials now require a building approval from the Jockey Club and an allocation of dates from the British Horseracing Board.

Silent Witness, one of the most exciting sprinters to appear on the international scene in years, will attempt to stretch his unbeaten record to nine in Sunday's $578,000 Bahunia Sprint Trophy at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

A 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, Silent Witness looked impressive when he defeated the South African sprint champ, National Currency, in the Hong Kong Sprint on Dec. 14. He also soundly defeated European group race winners Acclamation, The Trader, and The Tatling that day. Trained by former rider Tony Cruz, he will be ridden by Felix Coetzee.

The Epsom Derby is still 125 days away, but British bookies are already offering prices on the great English classic.

Paddy Power quotes the French-trained American Post as its 10-1 co-favorite along with Snow Ridge, trained by Marcus Tregoning. Snow Ridge won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes and followed with a dull seventh in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

State Shinto outdueled Tropical Star to take Round 1 of the Group 3 Maktoum Challenge at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night. The one-mile, $150,000 event was the first of three United Arab Emirate stepping-stones on the road to the Dubai World Cup on March 27.

NEW YORK - The selection this week of Hawk Wing as the world's highest-rated horse of 2003 by the International Classification Committee brings into question the competence of that once-august body as well as raising doubts concerning the criteria it uses in determining international championships.

Hipodromo de last Americas in Mexico City will run a meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses starting on Friday. Racing will be held on a Friday through Sunday basis, through Nov. 21.

Hipodromo has scheduled 67 stakes during the meet, topped by the Handicap de las Americas at a 1 1/4 miles on May 30. The Mexican Jockey Club Stakes for 3-year-olds on March 27 is the first leg of the Mexican Triple Crown. The series concludes with the Mexican Derby at 1 1/8 miles on May 1.

Lone Star Park near Dallas has long been a racing advisor to Hipodromo.