Preview: Will Sibelius Be The Third Horse To Ever Win Consecutive Golden Shaheens?

Jerry O'Dwyer believes the horse has every chance to do it again. For the second successive year, he has come alive over the American winter, winning recently at both Gulfstream and Tampa Bay Downs.

O'Dwyer has taken a similar path to what he did last year, going for the Pelican Stakes at Tampa and the Mr Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream. "Thankfully, he has won both races two years in a row, and this seems to be the time of year when he is at his best. He might be peaking, and if that’s the case, I’m certainly very happy with that," said O'Dwyer.

Sibelius is a proven performer, but turning up to a race of the quality of the Golden Shaheen has meant a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure that he arrives at Dubai ready to race. "Heading into the race, we aren’t nervous, but we are very respectful of the level of competition that we are facing," said O'Dwyer.

When it comes to Sibelius’s future plans, O’Dwyer is dreaming of further Dubai success. "One day, I would love to take him to the Breeders’ Cup, but we are very mindful of him. It’s all about him and when he’s ready to go. Dubai was such an experience for us last year; he’s only a 6YO gelding, and he’s sound. We’d love for him to keep coming back. It would be a great feat for him to get to three Golden Shaheens. I’d be absolutely delighted with that."

Other American invaders drawing support are Bold Journey, a Bill Mott trainee who finished third in the Gr.3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February; Hopkins, fourth in last year's Golden Shaheen and sent over by Bob Baffert after finishing second in the Gr.3 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita Park in his last start Feb. 10; and 2023 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Sprint show finisher Nakatomi, who makes his first overseas trip for trainer Wesley Ward since finishing eighth in the Gr.2 Norfolk Stakes on turf at the 2021 Royal Ascot meeting.

Nakatomi exits a third-place finish in the Pelican Stakes on 10th Feb at Tampa Bay Downs, won by Sibelius both this year and last.

Sibelius went 1-for-4 in 2023 after the Dubai win, but O'Dwyer said he was "maybe visually, I think, more impressive in his prep race this year. A couple of horses who finished behind him in that have come back and won stakes or allowance races."

He also said that the horse's performance last year and Ryan Moore's agreement to ride him back instill confidence.

"He overcame so much," O'Dwyer said of last year's slow start. "But he just gave us renewed confidence that he's not one-dimensional, that he has to be on the lead.

"Last year was just an unreal experience," the trainer added. "Just to come over and take on the best sprinters in the world and to pull it out of the bag like that."

Run Classic, trained by Venezuela-born Jose Francisco D'Angelo, is a longshot among the American entries.

"As a sprinter, it's really important to have a good start," D'Angelo said after a midweek gate schooling session. "He has only had one start for us, but we really liked what he did that day.

"We're confident he belongs in this Group One company and that he will run a big race. He's really doing well here."

He will need to be, as some of the best sprinters from other parts of the world will line up again in the Golden Shaheen.

Igniter, a fan favorite and two-time Horse of the Year on the National Association of Racing dirt circuit in Japan, might be counting on a speed-favoring Meydan surface to make his case.

"The dirt track here is very fast, which suits Igniter," said jockey Tsubasa Sasagawa after a mid-week work. "He was the champion horse of Japan's country racing circuit last year, so I would like to get a good result with him.

"He has adapted to the environment in Dubai very quickly, which is a strength of his. Mentally, he stands out as one of the best I have ever ridden, so tough, and I would like to maximize his strength."

Remake & American Contenders Set To Dominate Golden Shaheen Sprint

Yuga Kawada trained Japanese star Remake arrives off his victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint. He was a solid favourite in that and won from off the pace by 1 1/2 lengths over the swift Steve Asmussen-trained American Skelly.

Although, the Golden Shaheen draws the best sprinters from all over the world. This year, the competition is fiercer than ever before, with some of the greatest sprinters from America vying for the top spot.

American contenders Nakatomi, Sibelius, and Remake are the ones to watch out for. Nakatomi's trainer Wesley Ward has expressed confidence in his horse, saying, "He overcame so much last year, but he just gave us renewed confidence that he's not one-dimensional, that he has to be on the lead." 

The lineup also includes some of the best sprinters from around the world, including Igniter, who was the champion horse of Japan's country racing circuit last year. Igniter's jockey Tsubasa Sasagawa has said, "He has adapted to the environment in Dubai very quickly, which is a strength of his. Mentally, he stands out as one of the best I have ever ridden, so tough, and I would like to maximize his strength."

Mouheeb, who has won multiple graded stakes races, is another interesting contender. 

With so many great sprinters competing in this year's Golden Shaheen, it's hard to predict who will come out on top. However, with their proven track record and excellent performances leading up to the event, the American contenders stand a great chance of taking home the trophy, once again.