Dubai Golden Shaheen – who wins the Clash of the Titans?

This article is the third of our series dedicated to the undercard on Dubai World Cup night on 5 April. We would remind readers again that this field is not yet set in stone. While the horses discussed below are those comprising the “likely” final field for the Dubai Golden Shaheen issued by the Dubai Racing Club, some of the horses below may end up being withdrawn, and it is still possible that others will be added. As with any antepost bet, therefore, any wagering at this stage comes with the risk of total loss even before the gates open. The numbers in brackets after each horse’s name are the best odds available at the time of writing.

Dubai Golden Shaheen - 6 furlongs on dirt , Meydan, 5 April

One notable feature of this year’s Dubai World Cup night is the lack of head-to-head clashes in the major races. Two races feature one horse that towers over the opposition – the Dubai World Cup itself and the Dubai Turf – while others like the Dubai Sheema Classic, the Al Quoz Sprint, and the Godolphin Mile have deep, competitive fields in which picking the most likely winner is tricky. But there’s one race that does promise a proper clash of titans in the form of two superstar sprinters who have never met. So who comes out on top in this year's Dubai Golden Shaheen?

Let’s analyse their profiles and indeed those of the rest of the field:

Straight No Chaser (13/8, Hills/888): His first five races in 2022 and early 2023 under the care of Dan Blacker pointed to a sprinter who was an all-or-nothing type. He put together back-to-back wins for the first time in the spring of 2023, most notably winning the G3 Maryland Sprint in June by 7 lengths (Nakatomi one of those trailing in his wake) in an eye-catching time. Then came a period of 15 difficult months in which he raced just once (under assistant trainer Juan Landeros, unplaced in a G3 sprint at Aqueduct in May 2024) as scans revealed joint issues. But the dogs were clearly barking about this horse prior to his return to the racetrack in the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in September 2024. Here he was backed down into 6/4 favouritism despite never having raced at G2 level and duly crushed the field by more than six lengths, recording a wickedly fast 1.08.52 for good measure. He then parlayed this performance into a Breeders Cup Sprint win over a deep field at Del Mar in November, again in a fast time, before heading to the Middle East in February and winning the Riyadh Dirt Sprint with ease. Comes into this race as the world’s top dirt sprinter, in the form of his life, injury-free, and on a roll. Formidable.

Tuz (7/4, Bet365): There’s not much evidence to suggest that a thoroughbred racehorse peaks at the age of eight...but then there’s Tuz. It was just over a year ago at the age of seven that this horse first showed something special, annihilating the field in the G3 Dubawi Stakes by 8 lengths over this course and distance in a fast time. Although he then flopped badly when shipped to Riyadh, he has since backed up that breakout Meydan performance with four more fast wins over exactly the same 6-furlong course: In last year’s Golden Shaheen (by six lengths), in a listed race in December (roughly the same winning distance), and in three subsequent G3 races in the first quarter of 2025, all by open lengths. So there’s no doubting that this horse is King of the Meydan sprint scene. What is open to question is the calibre of horses he’s been beating in this run of facile victories. Straight No Chaser will pose an altogether different challenge.

Nakatomi (10/1, Hills/888): Rather frustrating horse in that when he’s good he’s very good, but at other times he doesn’t really show up. Deserves a pass for his 7-length third in this race last year, however, as pretty much everything might have gone wrong did – he broke awkwardly, lost position, and steered a wide, ground-adding trip around the final bend, where he was hampered and lost a shoe for good measure. He’s much better than that result, and his close third in the 2023 Breeders Cup Sprint and comfortable win in the Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga last July (both G1 races run in fast times) were outstanding efforts that give a better idea of what this horse can achieve in the right circumstances. Has a closing (come-from-behind) style, which might be a good fit in what could be a real burn-up. Likely top-three finisher if he's on a going day.

Remake (12/1, Bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral): Quite a similar profile to Nakatomi, with a rather erratic look to his body of form and an even more pronounced closing style. Finest moment came in Saudi last year when winning the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in January (the race in which Tuz flopped). He has competed in the last two runnings of this event, finishing a relatively close fifth in 2023 (beaten less than two lengths) before being well held in fourth last year (just a length behind Nakatomi, also experienced a troubled trip). Would be a threat with a pace meltdown but his last two runs have been poor, and he only looks to have an outside chance of placing otherwise in what looks a stronger edition of the race than those he has previously contested. We're passing on this one.

Super Chow (16/1 generally): Improved as a four-year-old last year, winning multiple stakes races at various courses in the US (including the Maryland Sprint Stakes at Pimlico, which was won by Straight No Chaser the year before). Seemingly improved yet again on his reappearance last month, winning the Gulfstream Sprint Stakes in a very fast time. South Florida back class translates well to this track (2023 winner Sibelius had strong Gulfstream form) and this horse looks to be a possible place candidate as he may not have stopped improving yet.

Dark Saffron (16/1 Ladbrokes, Coral): Three-year-old gelding who did not see a racecourse until last November. Has demonstrated relentless progression in seven races since then, however, most recently romping home in a conditions race by more than seven lengths (led all the way) despite carrying a penalty. The leap from that level to a G1 Golden Shaheen is a quantum one and it would be a mighty surprise if he were able to lead some of the world's top speedsters, but it’s worth noting that the time of that last race was fast (three quarters of a second quicker than that recorded by a decent older handicapper on the same card). Unlikely to play a major role but has “wild card” place potential, not completely dismissed.

American Stage (20/1 generally): Only made his debut as a two-year-old in Japan last September (late May foal) and hardly looked out of the ordinary in his first three races, placing three times, but then won three increasingly valuable races on the trot when dropped to six furlongs in the last two months of 2024. Travelling to Meydan to kick off his three-year-old career looked quite an ask but this colt acquitted himself admirably in the G3 Al Shimaal on Super Saturday (1 March). Drawn widest of all under Oisin Murphy, he coped well with a big field and made an impressive move into second behind Tuz before tiring towards the finish but holding on to that runner-up position. With a better draw and possible further improvement it’s not difficult to see him getting closer this time. Extremely young for a test like this but a fascinating contender for a trainer who is peerless when it comes to getting his horses to peak on foreign raids.

Kurojishi Joe (33/1 generally): Six-year-old Japanese sprinter who has never raced outside of his native country. However, his two best runs can be assessed on a collateral form basis with the major players in this race. He finished a very close second to Don Frankie in the G3 Cluster Cup at Morioka in August 2024, that horse having finished 2nd to Tuz (but beaten 6.5 lengths) in last year’s running of this race. And he finished a close second to Gabby’s Sister in the G3 Capella Stakes at Nakayama in December, that mare having finished third to Straight No Chaser (beaten 4.5 lengths) in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in late February 2025. Both of those pieces of form give him plenty to find with the big two here, and for good measure he was beaten eight lengths in his most recent race in Japan back in January. There are better bets for the place positions than this one.

Jasper Krone (40/1, Hills/888): Japanese veteran of 23 starts who is no stranger to the biggest sprint races in the US, Hong Kong and the Middle East, but has never remotely looked like winning at the highest level. Finished 9th of 12 (beaten 13 lengths) behind Straight No Chaser in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in late February, showing wicked early pace and leading early but fading right out of it in the straight. That’s now his established modus operandi on the racetrack, and anything different here would come as a huge surprise.

Colour Up (66/1 generally): Stalwart of the local sprint scene, but his main claim to fame is being thrashed by Tuz on every single occasion those two horses have met (seven). More pointedly, on the sole occasion he has dipped his toe into G1 waters – this race last year – he finished 14th of 14, some 28 lengths behind his habitual nemesis. Hard to see why he is in this race other than to give the owners a fun day out on Meydan’s biggest night.

Eastern World (66/1 generally): Eight-year-old who has been a regular fixture of the Meydan sprint scene for the last two years. Did once beat Tuz (two years ago when that one flopped) but there's no race on his CV that gives him a chance of winning here, and even a podium place looks extremely unlikely. While he did come third behind Tuz last time in the G3 Al Shimaal on Super Saturday, he was beaten more than five lengths and this is a incomparably stronger field. Another no-hoper.

Drew’s Gold (66/1 generally): Emerged as talented sprinting force in 2023 in the US under the care of James Chapman in the US, winning four on the trot and then finishing second to the talented Arabian Lion in the G1 Woody Stephens at Belmont in June of that year. Form deteriorated thereafter, however, and he was then off the track for a 500-day injury break. On the face of it, his switch to the Middle East (and the stable of Julio Olascoaga) does not seem to have done the trick: he was beaten six lengths into third by Tuz (who was carrying a penalty) in the G3 Al Shindagha here on 24 January, and was then a hefty 18 lengths behind the same horse on Super Saturday. However, it’s worth noting that he had excuses in both those races (slow away/hampered in the former, completely blew the break in the latter), and a big run is not completely ruled out given that he has serious back class.

Royal Commando (66/1 generally): Showed occasional signs of talent as a turf sprinter under the care of Charlie Hills in the UK over the period 2019 to 2022, his smartest piece of form being the beating of a very strong field in the Cammidge Trophy (listed race) at Doncaster in March 2021. Became increasingly disappointing thereafter, so was switched to the Middle East and the stable of Salem bin Ghadayer, where four runs in early 2023 brought no improvement. Was then off the track for nigh on two years but returned to win two races in succession in January and February this year, most recently besting quite a deep field at Jebel Ali that included Colour Up as well as leading turf sprinter Ponntos. Both of those races were lower-grade affairs over five furlongs, so it takes a leap of faith to imagine him being competitive against the best six-furlong horses in the world, but there is something eye-catching about his recent resurgence.

Summary: No sitting on the fence – The AntePoster strongly prefers Straight No Chaser to Tuz in the clash between the big two in this race. The Breeders Cup Sprint champion has legitimate claims to be the world's best dirt sprinter, is a full two years younger than his rival, and we expect him to outclass this field if he repeats any of his last three races. On his best showing Nakatomi would be the most likely upset threat in the event of a pace meltdown, but he does throw in the odd clunker. At the bigger prices, American Stage is rapid improver and an obvious each-way candidate, Super Chow is capable of a big run too but we'd like to see his price drift a bit, while Drew's Gold will carry a little of our each-way money at a monster price in the hope that he breaks cleanly for once. However, any each-way betting should wait for four-place terms, which will almost certainly be offered 24-48 hours before the race.