20 years on: revisiting the the joy and bedlam of an epic Dubai World Cup

It had already been an auspicious night for the Godolphin stable of Saeed Bin Suroor. China Visit had ignited a Kentucky Derby dream in winning the UAE equivalent, while Rhythm Band had struck a chord in the Dubai Duty Free. But as the clock counted down towards the appointed hour, the feeling grew that something out of the ordinary was in the offing.

It was a little after 10pm at Nad Al Sheba, the atmospheric racecourse built on desert sands. Floodlights lit up the sky as runners for the fifth Dubai World Cup made their way through the narrow, claustrophobic walkway linking the stables with the paddock.

It was virtually impossible to move. Thousands of transfixed Dubaians stood hard against the walkway, straining for a glimpse of the horse Sheikh Mohammed had anointed as his equine messenger. He was a reflection image of the Dubai Ruler's own lust for adventure. He had been tasked with putting the emerging emirate firmly on the map. His date with destiny was nigh.