The first two runnings of what is now the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 1993 and 1994 happened in the month of December and the sprint was then transferred to the initial Dubai World Cup day in 1996.
The race was named the Nad Al Sheba Sprint until 2000 and took place over six furlongs on dirt up to and including 2009, becoming a Group One contest in 2002.
Following the construction of the state of the art Meydan Racecourse, the 2010 renewal of the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen will be run on Tapeta for the first time on Saturday, March 27. Whereas dirt sprints took place over a straight six furlongs at Nad Al Sheba, this year’s race on the artificial surface will be the first contested around a turn.
Satank won the inaugural dash in 1993, while the following year's renewal went to No Contract, ridden by Kevin Darley.
Godolphin had the honour of winning the first running at the Dubai World Cup meeting in 1996 when Kassbaan, with John Carroll up, ran on gamely to beat Try Prospect by three quarters of a length, with No Contract back in fourth.
The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Atraf struck in 1997, prevailing right on the line under a great ride from Jerry Bailey to deny Rasas by a short-head in a thrilling finish, with Try Prospect third.
The four-year-old winner had shown good form in England where he was successful in the Group Three Cork And Orrery Stakes (now the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes) at Royal Ascot.
Dhruba Selvaratnam gained some welcome compensation for Try Prospect’s two placed efforts when the trainer sent out Mudallel to success in 1998.
The five-year-old was given an enterprising ride by Willie Supple, who sent the Machiavellian horse to the front at half-way and they won by two and a half lengths.
Mudallel returned the following season in an attempt to become the first dual winner of the race but he could only muster sixth behind Ramp And Rave. However, Ramp And Rave, ridden by Gary Stevens, did provide Dhruba Selvaratnam with the accolade of being the first trainer to send out two Dubai Golden Shaheen winners.
Big Jag had finished third to Artax in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 1999 at Gulfstream Park, USA, and this massive American sprinter showed blistering pace to win by four lengths from Bertolini in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2000, when the prize money rose to US$1 million.
None of the sprinters successful in the event previously had been as impressive as the Tim Pinfield-trained Big Jag, who broke the Nad Al Sheba course record under a confident ride from Alex Solis. His time was 1m 8.10s.
Caller One, from James Chapman’s stable in America, dominated the Dubai Golden Shaheen for the next two years. He was always in command in 2001, winning by four and a half lengths from fellow American-raider Men's Exclusive.
The Phone Trick gelding had a tougher fight in 2002, when the race achieved Group One status for the first time, as Echo Eddie got within a head at the line. Caller One became the first thoroughbred to successfully defend a title on Dubai World Cup day.
Good form in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint became the norm for the winner of this event. The year before his first success in Dubai, Caller One had finished fourth to Kona Gold and then went one place better in the 2001 renewal of the Breeders' Cup Sprint, five months before his encore at Nad Al Sheba.
Corey Nakatani was in the plate for the first of Caller One’s successes, while Gary Stevens gained his second Dubai Golden Shaheen victory on him the following year.
Having spent 24 years as head lad to trainer Henry Cecil in England, Paddy Rudkin gained the biggest success of his own training career when State City, based in Dubai, prevailed in the 2003 Dubai Golden Shaheen by three quarters of a length from the American-trained Avanzado.
The Michael Hills-ridden four-year-old had been successful in the Jebel Ali Sprint earlier in the year and everything went right on the big night.
The jockey said: “It’s a great feeling to win this race and wonderful for Paddy. State City is a good horse and it's a tremendous achievement to get him here firing on the night.”
The US$2-million event went to American challenger Our New Recruit in 2004 on what was an excellent night for jockey Alex Solis, who then took the Dubai World Cup on Pleasantly Perfect.
Alex Solis, also successful in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2000 on Big Jag, gained the upper hand inside the final furlong and drew away to beat a strong field by two lengths.
Our New Recruit’s trainer John Sadler said: “I feel relieved - you hope to run well and if you don’t it is tough. He travelled superbly and is a very powerful horse. He was unlucky not to win on his previous two starts.”
Another American, Alke, winner of his four starts prior to the Dubai Golden Shaheen, was second, with local hero Conroy in third and the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint victor Cajun Beat in fourth.
The excellent record of American-trained horses in the Dubai Golden Shaheen continued in 2005, when Saratoga County triumphed under Javier Castellano for trainer George Weaver, giving him the biggest success of his career.
As the field split into two groups, Saratoga County, racing on the far side, went to the front a furlong and a half out and stayed there, defeating local hope Tropical Star, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe and ridden by Royston Ffrench, by a length, with Godolphin’s Botanical a head away in third place for Frankie Dettori.
A delighted George Weaver said: “I had a hard time watching the race. I was watching it on TV and at one time I thought he was going to win, then I thought ‘Oh no, he’s quitting’, I couldn’t tell.
“When I saw the last eighth of a mile live on the track I realised he had a good chance of winning, and he made it home first. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
The strongly-fancied Pico Central, partnered by Alex Solis who was looking for his third win in the contest following the victories of Big Jag in 2000 and Our New Recruit in 2004, could only manage fourth place after being hampered two furlongs out.
An American-trained runner captured the Dubai Golden Shaheen for the sixth time when the Sal Gonzalez-trained Proud Tower Too raced prominently before out-pointing fellow US raider Thor's Echo in 2006.
The four-year-old colt, winner of the Grade One Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita three months earlier, confirmed his superiority over Thor's Echo, whom he had beaten on his previous start, also at the California track.
“What a race, that was just terrific,” said the winning trainer, “To win a $2-million prize is the pinnacle of my career.”
Proud Tower Too led home An American 1-2-3-4-5 as Jet West was third, followed by Captain Squire and Gaff. Runner-up Thor’s Echo went on to secure the Grade One Breeders' Cup Sprint later in 2006.
The 2007 renewal again went to an American-trained horse as Kelly’s Landing prevailed under Godolphin’s number one jockey Frankie Dettori, who enjoyed a lucrative outside ride.
After tracking the pace, the strapping Eddie Kenneally-trained six-year-old hit the front inside the final quarter mile and took the prize by half a length from fellow US raider Friendly Island.
Local speedster Salaam Dubai, trained by Adi Selvaratnam, ran a superb race to take third, with American runners filling the next two places.
Frankie Dettori said of the victory: “American horses always handle the straight. What a ride he gave me. The trainer told me to get to the rail and the plan worked out. The horse was getting a little leg-weary at the end but the winning post came in time.”
The American domination of the Dubai Golden Shaheen continued in 2008, with Benny The Bull getting the better of Idiot Proof in good style.
The winner, trained by Rick Dutrow jnr, previously finished two places behind Idiot Proof in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Monmouth Park in October, but had progressed with victories at Laurel Park the following month and at Gulfstream Park in early 2008.
Benny The Bull was settled in mid-division in the Dubai Golden Shaheen and came with a strong run in the closing stages to beat his old rival by a length and three quarters, with the Rashid Bouresly-trained Star Crowned running well in third.
The winning rider Edgar Prado said: “I knew I had Idiot Proof within striking distance and I hadn’t really asked my horse yet. Benny The Bull had to prove he could run against the best horses in the world and he did it. When I asked him for a little bit more, he gave me 100 per cent.”
Following his victory, Benny The Bull returned to the United States and went on to be victorious in Grade Two company on both his subsequent appearances, including a comfortable success in the Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder.
Big City Man took the spoils last year for Saudi Arabian-based trainer Jerry Barton and owner Prince Sultan Mohammed Saud Al Kabeer The four-year-old had been unbeaten in three juvenile appearances in the US for former handler Jose Pinchin and took the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival by storm, winning a conditions race and one of the leading trials for the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the Group Three Al Shindagha Sprint.
After going down by three quarters of a length to Godolphin’s Gayego in another Group Three contest, the Mahab Al-Shimaal, Big City Man produced a career best performance in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, taking the lead inside the final furlong and holding off the late challenge of dual US champion filly Indian Blessing to prevail by a length and a quarter under Jose Verenzuela.
Jerry Barton commented: “I’ve gone close several times on Dubai World Cup night but to win is beyond my wildest dreams. I have been in Saudi Arabia 10 years and it always has been my goal to land a big one in Dubai.”
Godolphin’s Diabolical took an excellent third but Europe’s champion sprinter Marchand D’Or failed to run his race and trailed in last.
In 2010 the Dubai Golden Shaheen switched from dirt to Tapeta for its first running at Dubai's new racecourse, Meydan. Kinsale King continued US domination of the event, despite never having previously competed in Group One company. Trainer Carl O'Callaghan always had faith in Kinsale King and the five-year-old horse swept to a half-length victory under American jockey Garret Gomez.