Although the dictats of the Koran state that Muslims may not bet, Sheikh Mohammed took something of a gamble in taking Vodafone Derby winner High-Rise under the Godolphin wing and preparing him for a mile-and-a-quarter race, the Emirates Dubai World Cup.
Tomorrow the punt can pay off with a win for the bay in the most valuable race ever seen. High-Rise could scarcely have improved upon his three-year-old season, which saw him go from success in a limited stakes race at Pontefract to victory in the Derby, and a wretched run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
With Luca Cumani in 1998, when he ran in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, cousin of Sheikh Mohammed, the son of High Estate began the campaign by seeing off his opponents at Pontefract, and then got the better of Sadian by a neck in the Group Three Coloroll Lingfield Derby Trial.
While bookmakers made Godolphin's 1,000 Guineas winner Cape Verdi favourite at Epsom, High-Rise, partnered by Olivier Peslier, went off at 20 to 1.
He did not perform like an outsider, settling down to a rare fight with City Honours, the Godolphin second string, through the final quarter mile. At the line the Frenchman, who earned a two-day whip ban from the stewards, had forced his mount a head in front.
His fine second to Swain in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, probably represented the best run by a British middle-distance three-year-old in 1998 as he went under by a length.
Then prepared by Cumani for Longchamp, High-Rise went through equine customs with plenty of stable confidence, but on his return he had to go through the `Nothing To Declare' channel.
Michael Kinane was sitting motionless for much of the short Paris straight but time and again found his path blocked as he finished seventh to Sagamix.
Cumani was clearly peeved at his colt's wasted journey and considered running him at the Breeders' Cup.
That plan hit the buffers when he joined Godolphin shortly after the Arc, with the express intention of a crack at the Dubai World Cup.
Cynics might carp that High-Rise seemed to need every yard of a mile and a half to show his best, and is unlikely to prove fully effective at two furlongs shorter.
But both Saeed bin Suroor and Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford are adamant he has enough pace to cope and, with a sound gallop assured over Nad Al Sheba's demanding configuration, the race will provide a stern test at the distance.
Of his rivals, Silver Charm is an admirable racehorse, whose trainer Bob Baffert brings much-needed colour to the sport, and Victory Gallop has been pleasing his trainer Elliott Walden.
