Dubai International Carnival runners dominated the first big meeting of the British flat season yesterday.
Godolphin have long prepared their horses in the UAE before shuttling to Britain, and Sweet Lightning's victory in the Lincoln Trophy at Doncaster proved that smaller stables can do the same.
Sweet Lightning raced at Meydan Racecourse for the trainer Michael Dods four times during the Carnival.
The six-year-old's best performance was a second in the Dubal Potlines Trophy in February.
Although the son of Fantastic Light has raced mainly over 2,000m for the past two seasons, the fast pace in yesterday's 1,600m contest suited him perfectly.
"In Dubai he was running in slowly run races, so he couldn't finish well," said Johnny Murtagh, the jockey who won the Lincoln for the second year in a row.
"This suited him a lot better. I think we both enjoyed our few months out in the sun."
Taqleed, the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid-owned gelding, was scratched from the race by trainer John Gosden.
Earlier on the card, two Dubai Carnival runners finished one-two in the Listed Cammidge Trophy.
Jimmy Styles had found the turf course a little firm for his liking during his two runs at Meydan earlier this year, but on his return to Britain he proved far too good for Iver Bridge Lad.
The success is an early boost to the form of JJ The Jet Plane as Iver Bridge Lad finished second to the Al Quoz sprint winner when they clashed in a prep run for Dubai World Cup night that was contested last month.
Elsewhere, Sepoy won the Golden Slipper, the world's richest juvenile race, at Rose Hill, Australia, in commanding style yesterday morning under Kerrin McEvoy.
The two-year-old son of Elusive Quality races under the Darley banner of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and is trained by Peter Snowden.
In winning his third race from four career starts, Sepoy earned Dh13.6m and took McEvoy to within a victory in the Cox Plate of a career grand slam of Australia's top races.
McEvoy won the Caulfield Cup on Godolphin's All The Good in 2008 and made his name when winning the Melbourne Cup on Brew in 2000.
"It just couldn't have worked out any better," McEvoy said. "What a day. It's a great result for Sheikh Mohammed and Darley. The Melbourne Cup is top of the tree for me, but this win is not far away."
