Racing: Silver Charm on top of the world

SILVER CHARM, the 9-10 favourite, showed courage and tenacity of the highest order to beat Swain by the width of a camel's whisker in the third running of the $4 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horserace, at Nad El Sheba last night.

The grey Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, ridden by Gary Stevens, was always close to the pace and hit the front a furlong and a half out as his compatriot Behrens faded from contention.

The attacks came from the French raider Loup Sauvage, another American, Malek, and, finally Swain, launched wide by Mick Kinane. The decision was on the nod as Silver Charm and the equally gallant Swain - Sheikh Mohammed's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner was thought unlikely to be suited by either the 10-furlong trip or the sand surface - flashed over the line. Loup Sauvage held off Malek for third place. Stevens said: "He was relaxed early on and I always had a good position, and I was able to save that powerful stride of his for the final furlong.

"He only ever gives what he has to, but tonight that was an awful lot. He really is something special."