Shadeed

Shadeed made his first appearance in the Westley Maiden Stakes at Newmarket in October, where he started favourite on the basis of his home reputation. He finished third, beaten one and a half lengths and a short head behind the 33/1 outsider Kala Dancer and Al Riyadh. The form of the race was boosted when Kala Dancer won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes, Britain's most prestigious race for two-year-olds at Newmarket later in the month. At the same meeting, Shadeed ran against fourteen opponents in the Houghton Stakes. He tracked the leaders in the early stages before moving into the lead two furlongs from the finish and pulling clear to win easily by two and a half lengths from Tiber Creek. Although he had not contested a Group race he was made favourite for the following season's 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. In the International Classification he was given a rating of 76, eight pounds below the top-rated Kala Dancer.[2]

Shadeed made his three-year-old debut in the Craven Stakes over one mile at Newmarket on 16 April. Ridden by Walter Swinburn he started 9/4 joint-favourite with Local Suitor. Shadeed was always traveling easily before taking the lead two furlongs from the finish and pulling away from his opponents to win by six lengths from Damister. In the 2000 Guineas over the same course and distance sixteen days later he started 4/5 favourite against thirteen other colts. Before the race he seemed highly agitated and was sent to the start without taking part in the parade in front of the stands, for which offence Stoute was fined by the racecourse stewards.[4] With Swinburn suspended, he was ridden by the veteran Lester Piggott who had previously committed to ride Bairn for trainer Luca Cumani.[5] Shadeed went to the front two furlongs out and looked likely to win easily,[4] but was strongly challenged by Bairn and had to be ridden strongly by Piggott to maintain his advantage, winning by a head.

On 5 June Shadeed started 7/2 second favourite for The Derby. Despite concerns about his temperament, Shadeed appeared calm before the race but he ran "deplorably",[4] never figuring among the leaders and finishing thirteenth of the fourteen runners behind Slip Anchor, beaten by more than fifty lengths. So poor was his performance that Stoute and Swinburn were called before the racecourse stewards but were unable to offer an explanation.[6] Swinburn offered the observation that Shadeed "died in my hands... as if he'd been shot."[7]

After his poor run in the Derby, Shadeed did not run for well over three months before returning to one mile for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on 28 September. Shadeed took the lead at half way and drew clear in the straight to win by two and a half lengths from the Arlington Million winner Teleprompter in a course record time of 1:38.8.[4] On 2 November at Aqueduct, Shadeed was one of four British runners in the second running of the Breeders' Cup Mile. He finished fourth, three lengths behind the winner Cozzene, but was promoted to third on the disqualification of the runner-up, Palace Music.