Sheik's desert stint works Oaks wonder

NEW training procedures and plans for many horses owned by members of the Maktoum family are expected following Balanchine's history-making victory in the Energizer Oaks at Epsom under a jubilant Frankie Dettori.

Balanchine became the first horse trained in the Middle East to land a British Classic as she tenaciously battled up the stands rails in soft ground to hold her rivals in a race that lived up to its star billing.

She defeated Wind In Her Hair by two and a half lengths in an admirable staying performance, with Hawajiss back in third and Spot Prize fourth. The time, two minutes 40.37 seconds, for the mile and a half was reasonable considering the deteriorating state of the ground.

The experiment to ship horses to Dubai for the warmer weather in winter paid handsome dividends as Balanchine, who races in the ownership of Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum and Godolphin Racing - she is officially trained by Hilal Ibrahim - landed the coveted fillies' prize.

The persistent rain, which spoiled the day as a spectacle, caused the going to change, which many feared would test Balanchine's stamina to the full. But the Dubai-trained filly, who was once owned by Robert Sangster before being sold in a package deal to Godolphin last year, showed stamina of the highest order to stay on best of all.

This Oaks victory was a wonderful triumph for Sheik Mohammed, whose brainchild it was to take horses to Dubai for their winter rest. The theory was that in a warmer climate, and with excellent training facilities, the horses would be more forward than their English-trained counterparts when returned to Britain.