Godolphin’s Superlative Stakes winner Ancient Truth has met with a setback which will rule him out of the Betfred 2000 Guineas.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi colt beat Seagulls Eleven and Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Newmarket Group Two, with both placed horses going on to frank the form.
He then lined up in the Dewhurst on his final outing and put up a huge performance to be beaten by only a couple of necks in the generation defining race by stablemate Shadow Of Light and Aidan O’Brien’s Expanded.
Ancient Truth had been as low as 7-1 for the opening Classic on May 3, but he will now miss the race.
In an update posted on X, Godolphin said: “Ancient Truth will no longer be aimed at the 2000 Guineas due to a setback. He will be kept under veterinary supervision and a plan will be made for him for later in the season.”
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Charlie Appleby has confirmed Ruling Court will target Classic glory on his return to Europe – although whether that will include the 2000 Guineas has yet to be decided.
The Justify colt – who cost €2.3million at the Arqana breeze-up sales – returned to action with a silky-smooth display under William Buick at Meydan on Saturday, his first start since finishing third to The Lion In Winter and Wimbledon Hawkeye at York in August.
Out of a High Chaparral mare, Ruling Court holds a Derby engagement and is expected to get further than a mile.
“I think Ruling Court will continue to develop and we will go back to Europe with a sharper model,” Appleby said.
“I never want to get too excited in the immediate aftermath, but we anticipated him being a 10-furlong horse, so whether we go to the Dante or take in the Guineas beforehand, we’ll see.”
However, Appleby has ruled out a trip to Newmarket for Mountain Breeze, preferring instead to aim for the French Guineas.
She was also in winning action on the Super Saturday card, scoring by the best part of four lengths.
Appleby told the Godolphin website: “I think we will look towards the French 1,000 Guineas for Mountain Breeze. She won her first two starts on the Rowley Mile, but hated the dip on both occasions, and I don’t see her running in the Guineas there.”
It has been a good week for Godolphin prospects, with Opera Ballo producing an explosive performance at Kempton on Wednesday evening.
Buick said: “This is always an exciting time of the year, albeit it is early with a long season ahead. Opera Ballo could not have done it any better at Kempton and is by an exciting sire in Ghaiyyath. Then you have this lad (Ruling Court). It is very exciting.”
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Charlie Appleby’s Derby-entered Ruling Court is set to return to action on Saturday in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas at Meydan.
The Godolphin-owned son of Justify was a €2.3million breeze-up purchase who made a winning debut in a Sandown maiden in July before coming home third in a hot renewal of the Acomb at York behind The Lion In Winter and subsequent Royal Lodge victor Wimbledon Hawkeye.
He is as short as 12-1 and 16-1 for the 2000 Guineas and Derby respectively and is expected to run in a Classic trial to guide connections on which path to take, but first he will have an outing in warmer climes as one of two Appleby horses set for Listed action in this weekend’s one-mile contest.
The other is Hallasan, a gelded son of Pinatubo who has more experience in Dubai, having run there twice to date, firstly coming second in the Jumeirah Stakes and more recently winning the Jumeirah Guineas Trial ahead of stablemate Al Qudra.
Appleby said via the Godolphin website: “Ruling Court won impressively on his debut and put up another strong effort in the Acomb Stakes, when he finished third behind two nice colts.
“The plan is to give him one run out here before heading back to Europe for a Classic trial, and this will hopefully guide us whether we go down the Guineas or Derby route.
“Hallasan progressed from his first start of the season to win the trial for this, with Al Qudra going on to frank the form by winning out in Qatar.
“He’s a tough, honest horse, who should be competitive again.”
Back in action on the same card is Arabian Crown, a four-year-old with two Group Three titles on his CV who has been out of action since sustaining an injury in April last year.
He makes his comeback in the Dubai City Of Gold, a Group Two run over a mile and a half.
Appleby said: “Arabian Crown had a setback, which ruled him out of the summer, and we decided to give him plenty of time.
“He has done nothing wrong at home, but this will be his first start in a while and we expect him to improve on whatever he does here.”
Arabian Crown will be partnered by James Doyle, with William Buick riding multiple Group-class winner Silver Knott.
Appleby added: “Silver Knott produced a string of good efforts in the United States last year and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. A mile and a half is his best trip these days and he should be very competitive in this field.”
Stablemate Nations Pride, last year’s Arlington Million hero and a four-time scorer at elite level, features in the Group Two Singspiel Stakes over nine furlongs.
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Shadow Of Light is set to go straight to the Qipco 2000 Guineas after being crowned the Champion Two-Year-Old of 2024, giving Godolphin and Charlie Appleby their third such success in the last six seasons.
Appleby’s Pinatubo topped the ratings in 2019 with a magnificent mark of 128 and Native Trail led the way for Moulton Paddocks in 2021 on 122.
A ranking of 120 was good enough for Shadow Of Light to edge out exceptional filly Lake Victoria by one point, having completed a rare Middle Park-Dewhurst Group One double.
The son of Lope De Vega won his opening two starts at Yarmouth and Newmarket before finishing second in the Gimcrack at York.
He stepped up to a different level when landing the Middle Park by four lengths and returned to Headquarters to shade Expanded by a neck in the Dewhurst, when trying seven furlongs for the first time.
Appleby said: “Bar last year with Notable Speech being a left-field type having not run at two, as a rule you are always hoping to be in the first three in the Dewhursts and Middle Parks and the like, otherwise you are scratching around for a serious Classic contender.
Expanded looks exciting (PA)
“Given what Shadow Of Light, Desert Flower and to a lesser extent Ruling Court achieved it gives you confidence going into the spring and their three-year-old careers.
“We’re definitely going to try to see if Shadow Of Light stays the mile and we’ll probably go straight into the Guineas, I don’t want to test him over the mile beforehand, firstly timing-wise and secondly I’d rather keep the dream alive going into the Guineas.
“The way the horse relaxes and his mannerisms, he gives himself a chance to see out a mile. There’s question marks on the back of some of his pedigree, but if you actually dig into it there’s enough there to say a mile should be within his compass.
“I’m very pleased physically with how he’s done, he’s lengthened and as a physical you’d have a job to knock, he’s done all the maturing you’d want to see. With a clear run into the Guineas you’d have a job to knock him in the paddock.”
Expanded finished joint-third in the table on 118 after quickly backing up a narrow Curragh maiden win with that close second to Shadow Of Light in the Dewhurst.
His trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “We thought the world of him in the spring and we kind of ran out of time and he ended up not starting until late, but we always thought he was very good.
“I suppose what we did wasn’t really fair to him, to bring him back after a maiden to go straight into the Dewhurst – and it was only a few days after, really.
“He’s an unusual horse in that he has speed and we always thought he would get a mile-plus, so we always had it in our head that he had every chance of getting the Derby trip.
“He’s out of a Galileo mare, he has a very easy, relaxed way of going. His profile always suggested that he’d have no problem getting a mile and a quarter and could get further, so he’s obviously a very exciting horse.
“From his draw (at Newmarket), Ryan (Moore) ended up having to do a lot of the donkey work on him and that didn’t suit a horse that had only run a week before, but he didn’t surrender and was still going at the line, we felt.
“So we thought it was a very good run and he’s wintered very well, you couldn’t be happier with him looking at him now; he’s very relaxed and physically he’s a great size and shape of a horse. He could be very exciting.”
The Lion In Winter has a big year ahead (Niall Carson/PA)
Stablemate The Lion In Winter was forced to miss the Dewhurst due to suffering a bruised foot but still shared third spot on 118 after building on a Curragh maiden win by taking the Acomb Stakes at York in impressive fashion.
The son of Sea The Stars is ante-post favourite for the Qipco 2000 Guineas and the Betfred Derby, and O’Brien added: “He’s good.
“We won’t rush him. He could go to the Guineas but obviously he looks a Derby-type horse, so we’re not sure and if he doesn’t go to the Guineas, we’ll start in a (Derby) trial.
“He’s not over-big, he’s a nice type of size. He looked mature as a two-year-old, obviously he has a great mind. When he went to York, I suppose he dominated the race and the way he quickened and found plenty just made him look very exciting to everybody.
“He had two very kind of easy runs; he won his maiden and then he won very easily at York, I don’t think Ryan even hit him in York. He had two very good experiences and that will stand him in good stead from two to three.”
Hotazhell (left) on the way to victory at Doncaster (Mike Egerton/PA)
On 117 were Godolphin duo Ancient Truth and the filly Desert Flower, Jessica Harrington’s Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Scorthy Champ.
Graeme Smith, handicapping team leader at the British Horseracing Authority, said: “Shadow of Light became just the third horse in more than a century to win both the Middle Park and Dewhurst, with his runaway success in the first of those earning him the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2024 with a rating of 120.
“What’s unusual about this year’s classification is the level of competition at the top. There are eight horses rated between 117 and 120, and that really whets the appetite for some enthralling competition in their classic season ahead.”
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Racing’s two big powerhouses, Coolmore and Godolphin, will face off in Saturday’s Darley Dewhurst Stakes by providing five of the six runners.
Coolmore, who back Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable, are responsible for the favourite, The Lion In Winter, Expanded and Rock Of Cashel.
Godolphin, the brainchild of Sheikh Mohammed who sponsors the race through his Darley Stud banner, will see its colours carried by the Charlie Appleby-trained duo of the supplemented Shadow Of Light and Ancient Truth.
The only runner not from the two big stables is the Hugo Palmer-trained Seagulls Eleven, a close third in the National Stakes last time out.
🦁 The Lion In Winter an impressive winner of the Gr.3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at @yorkraces.
The Tattersalls Acomb is not only the richest juvenile Group 3 in Europe but also a 'win and you're in' for the @breederscup Juvenile Turf 🤩 pic.twitter.com/i4qdTXHAly
O’Brien had a change of heart with The Lion In Winter, who unusually for a Ballydoyle inmate is by Sea The Stars, as he had been due to contest the Goffs Million after winning the Acomb Stakes at York.
The form has been given significant boost by the runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye winning the Royal Lodge and the fourth The Waco Kid being successful in the Tattersalls Stakes.
Expanded, a Wootton Bassett colt, has won his only start while Rock of Cashel has been exposed since going up in grade.
Appleby’s pair also bring strong form to the table with Shadow Of Light really impressing when winning the Middle Park over six furlongs. He now goes up in trip.
Shadow Of Light was very impressive in the Middle Park (Mike Egerton/PA)
Ancient Truth is unbeaten in three and comfortably accounted for Seagulls Eleven in the July Stakes.
Only 25 have been declared for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch, despite the maximum field limit being 34.
They include last year’s winner The Shunter for Emmet Mullins and Willie Mullins’ dark horse Sea Of Sands.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroes Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan team up with Starzintheireyes one of seven in the Palace Pier Zetland Stakes, while Sir Michael Stoute’s Nightwalker is among six in the Emirates Autumn Stakes.
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A full-sister to dual Group One winner Charyn will join the Godolphin team after Sheikh Mohammed’s operation paid 2.9million guineas for her on day two of the Book One sale at Tattersalls.
Tuesday’s sale was lit up by a number of big-money purchases for Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian, including the 4.4m guineas daughter of Frankel out of Aljazzi, with the owner splashing out more than 12m guineas across 13 lots.
Joorabchian was in the mix for Grangemore Stud’s daughter of Dark Angel out of Futon, with Charyn’s owner Nurlan Bizkov also bidding along with Anthony Stroud for Godolphin.
It developed into a match between Stroud and Amo, with the Godolphin bid eventually prevailing – much to the delight of Grangemore’s Guy O’Callaghan.
He told Tattersalls: “It is the stuff of dreams and as a breeder it is what you always hope could happen, two buyers such as Amo and Godolphin going head to head, then it can go anywhere.
“She has been flat out since she got here, but she has never turned a hair and showed exactly the same every time – it takes a very special horse to do that.
“I was not at Royal Ascot when Charyn won as I could not get away from home, but it is so very difficult for a horse to win there, it takes a great performance and that was special day – and days like this can’t happen without that first.”
Godolphin further bolstered the ranks with the 1.5m guineas purchases of a Too Darn Hot half-brother to American Grade Two winner Idea Generation and a Dubawi colt out of Group One winner Molly Malone, plus a 2m guineas colt by Dubawi out of Lady Bowthorpe.
The mare was a top-class performer, winning the 2021 Nassau Stakes, and owner Emma Banks could not have been happier with the result for her first foal.
Lady Bowthorpe’s first foal sells for 2,000,000gns.
She said: “It feels bonkers, to be honest. You dream about these things, then you have to give yourself a slap and go ‘don’t be ridiculous’ but standing in that ring today it was just surreal.
“Once we got to the million – I said I would probably keep him at 800 or a little bit more – but you can’t argue with two million guineas. He’s a lovely, lovely horse and I’m so proud of him and Lady Bowthorpe.
“She is the one who has done this, it’s her baby. I pay the bills and the guys at (consignors) Fittocks have done an amazing job looking after him and her
“He’s going to a great racing operation with an incredible history. Charlie Appleby is a brilliant trainer, I’m very happy Will (Buick) is going to ride him – all of that.”
Godolphin also swooped for an 800,000 guineas half-brother to Classic winner Mac Swiney, while a full-brother to Irish Derby and St Leger winner Hurricane Lane was sold to Blandford Bloodstock for 850,000 guineas.
There was one other seven-figure lot on Wednesday, as Yulong paid 1.1m guineas for a Dubawi colt out of Group One winner Loving Dream.
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As the title indicates, this article looks at some owner data for UK Flat and AW racing, writes Dave Renham. The period of study is from 1st January 2019 to 8th September 2024. Profit and loss has been calculated to Industry Starting Price, but I will quote Betfair SP when appropriate. This is the first of a two-part series.
Flat Owners' Strike Rate League Table
Let's kick off by looking at the top 25 owners in terms of their strike rate (150 runs minimum to qualify):
Godolphin top the chart perhaps as one would expect, but hot on their heels is Marc Chan. The top six in the list all have decent A/E indices with four of that six hitting 1.00 or above. I will look at some of the owners in more detail later in the piece.
One owner to not quite make the cut is King Charles and Queen Camilla. Since taking over from the Queen at the end of 2022 the Royals have slimmed the operation down a little. They have had 21 winners from 164 runners (SR 13.8%), but losses have been steep, at £70.42 (ROI -42.9%). The A/E index stands on just 0.71. There has been performance drop off since the death of Her Majesty. From 2019 to 2022 Queen Elizabeth II had 270 runners of which 56 won (SR 20.1%) for a loss of £42.37 (ROI -15.2%); A/E index 0.92. It will be interesting to see if there is an improvement in performance with Royal runners over the next couple of seasons.
Godolphin
Godolphin had their first winner in December 1992 in Dubai and from 1994 the operation went global. At the time of researching this piece Sheikh Mohamed's racing entity winner-count worldwide stood at 8787, of which 430 came in Group 1 races.
Godolphin UK Annual Strike Rates
In this country they are based in Newmarket and have two trainers, Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor. Below are their overall yearly win strike rates.
There seems to have been a slight uptick in performance in the past three seasons (2022 to 2024). This has been reflected in the profit/loss column with 2019 to 2021 seeing losses of £368.61 (ROI -18.0%), while from 2022 to 2024 these have been much reduced to just -£38.48 (ROI -2.4%).
Godolphin Top Jockeys
Onto jockeys now and a look at all jockeys have had at least 60 rides for Godolphin and have ridden for them in 2024. I have ordered them by number of rides:
William Buick is the main stable jockey now James Doyle has moved on to Wathnan Racing. Doyle has still ridden for Godolphin this year but only 13 times and with just one win. Buick has an excellent record considering how many rides he has had. Betting all his rides would have yielded just a penny in the pound loss, while to BSP this moves into profit by £73.00 (ROI +6.8%). Oisin Murphy has an excellent record and primarily has ridden for bin Suroor. He’s only been called upon seven times so far in 2024 but has three wins from those rides. Going back to 2019 Murphy has an excellent record when riding in novice events. He has managed 18 wins from 41 rides (SR 43.9%) for a profit of £19.85 (ROI +48.4%). To BSP this improves to +£27.73 (ROI +67.6%).
Godolphin at Grade 1 Tracks
The next area to share is the stats at Grade 1 courses. This is where the biggest races tend to occur and a big operation like Godolphin do target quality.
The performances at Newmarket stand out. As you can see, I have split them into the Rowley and July courses, partly to show the consistency shown at Godolphin's local track. The two highest strike rates come from the Rowley and July course stats, both have shown profits to SP, and both A/E indices are comfortably above 1.00.
Now, the Godolphin stables are based in Newmarket, so the horses do not have to travel and are used to the surroundings. Even so, these stats are impressive especially given the quality of opposition they face at Headquarters. If you had backed all of their runners at Newmarket to BSP, profits would stand at an impressive +£172.44 (ROI +22.2%). If we look at the yearly BSP returns (ROI%) we see the following:
Profits in every single year showing excellent consistency. The last three years have been particularly strong.
William Buick has an outstanding record for Godolphin at the Suffolk track thanks to 133 winners from 368 (SR 36.1%) for a profit of £84.61 (ROI +23%). To BSP this climbs to +£121.46 (ROI +33%). Oisin Murphy is 10 from 22 and his mounts have returned a huge return to SP of 159 pence in the £. That has been achieved with the biggest priced winner being 9/1.
All in all, the Godolphin operation keeps firing year on year, and there are no signs of this abating.
Shadwell Estate Co (formerly Hamdan al Maktoum)
The Shadwell Estate is a world-renowned racing and breeding operation located in Britain, Ireland and the USA. Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum became one of the leading figures in international horseracing from the 1980s until his passing in 2021. He was champion Flat owner in Britain nine times, the last of which was in 2020. The operation is now run by his daughter, Sheikha Hissa. It is noticeable that the operation seems to have been streamlined since the death of Sheikh Hamdan with the number of runners per year roughly halving. This seems mainly due to the number of 2yo runners which have decreased dramatically.
In 2022 Shadwell had their best season in the 2019-2024 period hitting over 32% winners and returns to SP of 25p in the £. This year to date has been a little ‘sticky’ relatively with a strike rate of half that on 16.8% and losses edging close to 40p in the £. I am assuming 2024 has just been a small blip, based on going back further in time when they had similar strike rates in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
Shadwell Estate Trainer Performance
Below is a table showing trainers who have saddked at least 100 runners for Shadwell and at least one runner in 2024:
The Gosden, Varian and Burrows yards have all provided excellent long-term results, blind profits to SP and A/E indices above 1.00. This year two trainers in particular have struggled, with Charles Hills on just one win from 19 and Richard Hannon having drawn a blank from all of his 14 runners.
A trainer they may start to use more is Kevin Phillipart de Foy. He has had only four horses to date but three of them have won and overall, he has five wins from 12 from those horses.
In terms of jockeys, Jim Crowley gets the lion’s share of the rides and from 2019 to 2023 he made a blind profit to BSP in every single year, and to SP in four of the five years. This has not been the case this year which is no surprise given the 2024 figures shown above.
From a racecourse perspective, there are 11 courses where Shadwell has sent at least 100 runners since 2019. These favoured tracks have combined to produce a BSP profit of £199.67 (ROI 12.7%). I have graphed their A/E indices below:
Doncaster and Lingfield have extremely strong A/E indices of 1.29 and 1.26 respectively when Shadwell runners visit. At both courses they have provided good profits to both Industry SP and BSP and the strike rate at Lingfield has been better than one win in every three (34.3%). Kempton is another track where their runners have performed extremely well.
Shadwell Market Performance
Looking at the betting market, Shadwell runners have turned a profit on both favourites and second favourites:
To BSP profits stand at £45.85 (ROI +6.7%) for favs, and +£65.42 (ROI +14.4%) for second favs.
It will be interesting to see how Shadwell move forward in the next two or three years.
Cheveley Park Stud
The Cheveley Park Stud is Newmarket’s oldest stud farm and has been one of the major forces in European bloodstock and racing for over 35 years. With a strike rate of around one in six they have not been as successful as the likes of Godolphin, but there are still a few positive angles to share, as well as some negative ones.
Below is their annual breakdown:
As can be seen, it has been a little up and down. This year to date has been good, as was 2021. Last year saw quite a dip so it is difficult to get a handle on how things may go each year.
Cheveley Park Stud by Race Class
Onto to Class of Race next and here are the splits:
The headline here are those 38 wins at Class 1, with a profit to boot. To BSP this profit stands at £75.71 (ROI +29.3%) and sticking with BSP Class 1 races have yielded a profit in four of the six years. If we breakdown the Class 1 races we see that Listed races have offered the best returns:
All 17 wins from the Listed races have come with female runners. Females have provided 86 of the runners; the 11 male runners have drawn a blank. It should be noted at this point that around 75% of ALL the horses from Cheveley Park have been female with the vast majority of these being fillies, most of the colts from the stud being sent to auction.
Cheveley Park Performance by Surface
With most of Cheveley Park's runners being fillies, I suspect that the turf versus all-weather stats are worth looking at. Generally, female runners find it harder on the all-weather than on grass, so I am predicting that the red, white and blue-silked runners have a slightly better record on turf. Let’s see:
No surprises here. The turf figures are far superior to the all-weather ones across the board.
Cheveley Park Performance by Trainer
A look at trainers next. Firstly, a comparison of strike rates across the main trainers (60 runs minimum):
Quite a variance here, ranging from William Haggas at over 22% to Roger Varian at under 10%. Let’s see which trainers have produced the best A/E indices over the period of study:
David O’Meara is the standout with an A/E index of 1.11. He had a decent strike rate of close to 19% and has been profitable with Cheveley Park runners to both SP (12p in the £) and BSP (24p in the £). Also take notice if Danny Tudhope is booked to ride for O’Meara and Cheveley Park. They have combined to secure a 54% profit to SP, 71% to BSP.
The Gosden stats look a bit weird as they have been profitable to SP (18p in £) and BSP (26p in the £), but their A/E index is down at 0.84. However, this is because of a below average performance with shorter-priced runners. For the record the stable has made an SP profit in five of the six years.
Cheveley Park Market Performance
Finally for Cheveley Park, let me share some market data because it caught my eye. When the SP has been short (9/4 or shorter) the results have been quite poor. The ownership entity has managed 100 wins from 294 qualifiers (SR 34%), but losses have been significant at £69.53 (ROI –23.7%).
But when their runners have drifted in price from Early Odds (around 9am in the morning) to their final SP they have made a profit if backing to BSP. There have been 749 horses which have lengthened in price from Early Odds to SP of which 108 have won (SR 14.4%) for a BSP profit to £81.08 (ROI +10.8%). So don’t be put off by a Cheveley Park drifter. Drifters at single figure BSP prices have made a profit so these figures are not skewed by several big priced winners.
*
That concludes my first piece. I hope there have been some useful nuggets for you to take advantage of in the future. I will continue from where I left off next time. Until then...
- DR
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ribchester_RoyalAscot_Godolphinentourage.jpg320830Dave Renhamhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDave Renham2024-09-17 08:01:432024-09-24 08:26:00A Study of Owners in UK Flat Racing, Part 1
The St Leger is the oldest of the five British flat racing Classics, as well as the longest in trip at Doncaster racecourse.
Run over a distance of 1m6f and for 3 year-olds only this contest is targeted by horses that ran in that season’s Great Voltigeur, with 9 of the last 22 winners having ran in that York race before winning this, while in recent years with seen 9 winning favourites in the last 22 runnings.
Look out for John Gosden-trained horses as this powerful Newmarket stable has won the race four times in the last 22 years, while top Irish handler – Aidan O’Brien has saddled the winner of the St Leger seven times, including 4 of the last 11 seasons with Leading Light, Capri, Kew Gardens and last year with Continuous.
Also note any Godolphin-owned entries as they these famous blue silks have won the final English Classic of the season a staggering seven times.
Here at GEEGEEZ we've got all the key stats ahead of the 2024 renewal.
19/22 – Placed in the top 3 last time out
19/22 – Had 2 or 3 previous career wins
19/22 – Had never raced at Doncaster before
18/22 – Placed favourites
18/22 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
17/22 – Had won a Group race before
17/22 – Had won over at least 1m3f before
15/22 – Had 4 or 5 previous runs that season
14/22 – Had never raced over 1m6f or further before
13/22 – Winning distance of 1 length or more
13/22 – Drawn in stall 5 or higher
13/22 – Won last time out
13/22 – Officially rated 109 to 115
9/22 – Winning favourites (1 joint)
9/22 – Ran in the Great Voltigeur last time out (3 won it)
6/22 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
4/22 – Trained by John Gosden
4/22 – Ridden by Frankie Dettori (6 wins in total)
4/22 – Won by a Godolphin-owned horse (7 wins in total)
3/22 – Ran in the Gordon Stakes last time out (2 won it)
3/22 – Ridden by William Buick
3/22 – Ridden by Ryan Moore
2/22 – Ridden by Andrea Atzeni
2/22 – Winners from stall 1
Godolphin have won the race 7 times
Aidan O’Brien has trained 7 winners of the race
The average winning SP in the last 22 years is 6/1
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Few trainers have taken the racing scene by storm as quickly as Saeed bin Suroor once did and it is hard to comprehend his first Royal Ascot victory came almost three decades ago.
So Factual’s triumph in the 1995 Cork And Orrery Stakes (now Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee) gave a hint to what was to follow and 12 months later Bin Suroor saddled a treble – with two of those at Group One level.
Charnwood Forest’s win in the Queen Anne was the first of a record seven wins in that contest and Classic Cliche opened his account in the Gold Cup, with four more triumphs subsequently following there.
While the days of Bin Suroor challenging for those prizes seem a long time ago, Colour Vision providing him with his most recent Gold Cup in 2012, the victories of Real World in the 2021 Royal Hunt Cup and Dubai Future in the 2022 Wolferton Stakes prove that given the ammunition, he can still produce the goods.
Frankie Dettori has ridden 24 Royal Ascot winners for Saeed bin Suroor (David Davies/PA)
Ask him to pick out a favourite of his 38 Royal Ascot winners, which places him fourth best among current trainers, and he struggles, though.
“There are so many to choose from and all of them are good for different reasons,” said Bin Suroor.
“I think I’ve been champion trainer there four times and we had six winners there one year (2004).
“All the Royal Ascot winners were very important. If you win one race there, you have done very good. When you win there regularly, you don’t realise how lucky you are.
“The thing to remember about Ascot is it is the best quality horse racing in the world, it is the biggest meeting. People come from all over the world for it to see the best horses.”
Dubai Millennium oozed class when winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in 2000 (Sean Dempsey/PA)
A quick glance down the list of jockeys to have ridden the Bin Suroor Royal Ascot winners reads like a who’s who of the best pilots of the era.
Obviously, Bin Suroor and Frankie Dettori had a long-standing successful alliance but Mick Kinane, Kerrin McEvoy and American legends Gary Stevens and Jerry Bailey were used too, the latter on Dubai Millennium, arguably Bin Suroor’s best horse.
“Dubai Millennium sticks out. He was a Dubai World Cup winner but to see him win the Prince of Wales’s like that was good, he was a class horse and produced the best stallion in the world in Dubawi,” said Bin Suroor.
“Frankie was injured after his (plane) crash, so we got Jerry Bailey. Why not? He was one of the best jockeys in the world for a long time.
“It’s nice to look back at days like that sometimes, you realise you have done something special.”
Kayf Tara beat Double Trigger in his first Gold Cup (Michael Stephens/PA)
Bin Suroor’s five Gold Cups compares favourably to Aidan O’Brien’s record of eight, four of which he won with Yeats.
Classic Cliche (1996), Kayf Tara (1998 and 2000), Papineau (2004) and Colour Vision all took the meeting’s highlight and the former policeman confesses to having a fondness for the race.
“I like the stayers. Five times I won the Gold Cup. To win it, you have to have lots of stamina and lots of class, that’s why certain horses could win it more than once,” said Bin Suroor.
“It’s hard to win any race at Royal Ascot but the Gold Cup is very hard to win. It’s a special race and the memories will live with me for a long time. We were lucky we had those horses.”
Bin Suroor also feels one other factor played a part in his Ascot success.
“You need the right jockey. Jerry Bailey, Frankie, Gary Stevens, they are the best in the world wherever you go. You have to give your horse the best chance, so you get the best jockey,” he said.
“You need everything in your favour to win the biggest races; the ground, the trip and the jockey – and then you have a chance.”
While he did love to win the Gold Cup, Bin Suroor highlights the Queen Anne and Prince of Wales’s Stakes as the cream of the crop.
He added: “They are the truly great races. The Queen Anne tells you the best miler and the Prince of Wales’s the best 10-furlong horse and I have good records in both.”
Real World and Marco Ghiani winning the Royal Hunt Cup (David Davies/PA)
In the last decade, winners at Royal Ascot have proved harder to come by for Bin Suroor, but that just means when they do, he appreciates them even more.
“I enjoyed Real World winning the Hunt Cup. Then he went on and won a Listed, a Group Three and a Group Two. It meant a lot,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to running Summer Of Love. She won recently at Kempton and she’d only worked four times, she wasn’t ready. She should run in the Buckingham Palace.
“I have Wild Tiger too, he is an improving horse, he’s won two already this season and will go well in the Hunt Cup.
“It is much harder trying to win 30-runner handicaps than the Group Ones, though!”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/27462055-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-06-09 13:12:512024-06-09 13:12:51Bin Suroor still gets real buzz from Royal Ascot success
Charlie Appleby believes softer ground in the Betfred Derby will play into the hands of his runner Ancient Wisdom.
Ancient Wisdom was beaten six lengths by Economics in the Dante at York on good ground that was not in the favour of the Dubawi colt.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old has shown a liking for cut in the ground when winning the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Newmarket before stepping up in class to win the Group One Futurity Trophy just two weeks later on heavy ground at Doncaster.
Appleby, who saddled Derby winners with Masar in 2018 and Adayar in 2021, likes what he has seen coming out of that race on the Knavesmire and feels he has a real chance with the weather in his favour on the Surrey Downs.
The in-form Appleby has already enjoyed Classic glory this season after Notable Speech landed the 2000 Guineas – and celebrated more Group One success over the weekend with Rebel’s Romance impressing in the Champions and Chater Cup in Hong Kong over the weekend.
“He’s a past Group One winner in the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster in very soft conditions we know there were that day,” Appleby said in a video update posted on Godolphin’s X page.
“I was happy with his reappearance in the Dante. There was a very good winner (Economics), but I felt this horse was going to show plenty of improvement there with all the right signs since.
“He relishes the slower ground and the forecast being potentially the way it is he will hopefully encounter that on Saturday. Therefore it will enhance his chances.
“William (Buick) sat on him this morning and the whole team are delighted with the way the horse has progressed from his first start as a three-year-old there in the Dante to where we are today.
“We’ve got a horse there who is going to be a live contender.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/274346515-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-05-29 15:27:492024-05-29 15:27:49Appleby: Ancient Wisdom showing all the right signs
Notable Speech and Devoted Queen both remained unbeaten with impressive displays at Kempton, as Charlie Appleby could have unearthed a couple of Classic contenders.
With the form of his previous course-and-distance victory over Cuban Tiger getting a timely boost at Newcastle recently, Dubawi colt Notable Speech was sent off the 4-7 favourite for his third career appearance in the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily British EBF Conditions Stakes.
Up against some smart rivals, including Ralph Beckett’s well-regarded Derby entrant Valvano, he was ridden with supreme confidence by William Buick and showed a blistering turn of foot as he sprinted past that challenger in the closing stages.
Oh, hello 👀
2,000 Guineas entry Notable Speech shows a sparkling turn of foot to come from last to first under William Buick.
The Godolphin homebred was cut to as short as 14-1 with bet365 for the 2000 Guineas, with his rider feeling he has now justified a step up in grade.
Buick said: “He’s shown the last twice here he can do that and it was a really good performance and he deserves to go up in grade now.
“Today was a warm race with a few unexposed types and he gave away weight to all of them, so I’m delighted.
“I was very pleased with how he has done physically since the last time I rode him – he has really filled out and I feel like he has grown a bit as well, which is always nice to see from a horse who has had two runs.
Notable Speech and jockey William Buick after scoring at Kempton (Steven Paston/PA)
“I couldn’t be more happy with him and I tested him a little bit today and he quickened up in a stride.
“I just had to pick a path and he’s such a genuine, easy horse to deal with. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.
“It’s so wet, so it was a nice opportunity for him to come here and run again on this surface. I think he would handle a little bit of cut in the ground, but he’s a very fast horse with a low action, so I think he would want a bit of decent ground.
“He’s opened up a few options there but he’s a speedy miler.”
Buick was also in the plate aboard another hot Moulton Paddocks prospect as Devoted Queen overcame her inexperience to instigate a Godolphin double on the card in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes.
Devoted Queen could have a bright future (Steven Paston/PA)
Although far from the finished article, her jockey was encouraged by the promise shown and is hopeful the 1-2 odds-on scorer can become a smart performer as the season progresses
“It was very much a learning day for her and she has come through it,” added Buick, who also tasted Listed success on the card aboard Joseph O’Brien’s Adelaise.
“She’s very inexperienced and she needs to work on a few things. I’m sure she will get there and today was a new experience for her, she was a bit fresh early but got there in the end.
“When she hit the front, she probably had a bit of a look and showed her inexperience, so all in all I think everyone will be really pleased with that.
Devoted Queen cut to 20-1 for the 1000 Guineas after remaining unbeaten at Kempton pic.twitter.com/YNBCFziLp3
“It’s a bit early to say (about the 1000 Guineas) and I’m sure we will get her home and those options will be discussed. She has got the talent.
“She is the type of filly, with the way she is built, that will keep improving and progressing and I’m sure there is plenty to look forward to with her.”
A taking winner of a Newmarket maiden previously, Devoted Queen was trimmed to 20-1 from 25s by Coral for the Qipco 1000 Guineas on May 5.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/275801992-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-04-06 16:33:382024-04-06 16:33:38Godolphin duo enhance Guineas prospects at Kempton
It's now over 20 years ago since horse-loving and mega-rich HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had the dream to build a new and exciting race tracks in the heart of Dubai and attract the world’s best thoroughbreds to race for the Dubai World Cup.
Millions of dollars of prize money provided the carrot for trainers around the globe and with the prize now upped to a whopping $10million, from $6 million, for the main race this year’s event is set to be the best yet. 2010 saw the start of a new era with the entire carnival being run for the first time at the newly built Meydan Racecourse, having previously been staged at Nad Al Sheba.
The new futuristic track has cost an estimated $2billion to build and will easily accommodate a bumper 60,000 crowd. 10,000 car park spaces make things easier for visitors, while the track has been built on 76m Sq feet and includes a 12f turf track and an 8.75 Tapeta (AW) course.
This year’s race will be run on Saturday 30th March, the final day of the Dubai Racing Carnival that runs from January and consists of around 10 meetings.
Last year we saw the second winner from Japan as the Noboru Takagi-trained Ushba Tesoro landed the lucrative pot. The first 6 year-old winner of the race since Well Armed in 2009 and only the fourth of that age group to take the prize.
Dubai World Cup Trends (Since run at Meydan 2010)
13/13 – Had raced in the last 8 weeks
12/13 – Previous Group/Grade 1 or 2 winners
11/13 – Had won over 1m2f before
11/13 – Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
10/13 – Had raced in the last 4 weeks
9/13 – Previous Group/Grade 1 winners
9/13 – Officially rated between 119-123
8/13 – Didn’t win their last race
8/13 – Aged 5 or older
8/13 – Unplaced favourites
7/13– Had won at the track before
6/13 – Returned a double-figure price
6/13 – Came from stalls 5-8 (inclusive)
5/13 - Owned by Godolphin (9 wins in total)
4/13 - Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor (9 wins in total)
3/13 – Winning favourites
2/13 - Ridden by Christophe Soumillon
9 of the last 11 winners came from stalls 6+
The last 7 winners were aged between 4-6
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the race 4 times
Jockey Frankie Dettori has won the Dubai World Cup 4 times
Trained Dubai World Cup Winners………..
13/27 – Trained in USA
11/27 – Trained in GB
2/27 – Trained in Japan
1/27 – Trained in France
0/27 - Trained in Ireland
Previous Dubai World Cup Winners
2023 - Ushba Tesoro (JPN) (6): Yuga Kawada / Noboru Takagi - 10/1
2022 - Country Grammer (USA) (5): Frankie Dettori / Bob Baffert - 15/2
2021 - Mystic Guide (USA) (4): Luis Saez / Mike Stidham - 6/4 (fav)
2020 - No race (Covid)
2019 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (5): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 4/1
2018 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (4): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 8/1
2017 - Arrogate (USA) (4) : Mike E Smith / Bob Baffert - 1/3 (fav)
2016 – California Chrome (USA) (5) : Victor Espinoza / Art Sherman – 15/8 (jfav)
2015 – Prince Bishop (UAE) (8) : William Buick / Saeed Bin Suroor – 14/1
2014 – African Story (UAE) (7) : Silvestre de Sousa / Saeed Bin Suroor – 12/1
2013 – Animal Kingdom (USA) (5) : Joel Rosario/ Graham Motion – 11/2
2012 – Monterosso (UAE) (5): Mickael Barzalona/M Al Zarooni – 20/1
2011 - Victoire Pisa (JPN (4): Mirco Demuro/Katsuhiko Sumii – 12/1
2010 - Gloria de Campeao (FRA) (6): T. J. Pereira/Pascal Bary – 16/1
2009 - Well Armed (USA) (6): Aaron Gryder/Eoin G. Harty – 10/1
2008 – Curlin (USA) (4): Robby Albarado/Steve Asmussen – 4/11 (fav)
2007 – Invasor (USA) (5): Fernando Jara/K McLaughlin – 5/4 (fav)
2006 – Electrocutionist (UAE) (5): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 5/4 (fav)
2005 - Roses in May (USA) (5): John Velazquez/Dale Romans – 11/8 (fav)
2004 - Pleasantly Perfect (USA) (6): Alex Solis/Richard Mandella – 5/2
2003 - Moon Ballad (UAE) (4): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 11/4
2002 - Street Cry (UAE) (4): Jerry Bailey/Saeed bin Suroor – 9/2
2001 - Captain Steve (USA) (4): Jerry Bailey/Bob Baffert – 7/4 (jfav)
2000 - Dubai Millennium (UAE) (4): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor -
1999 – Almutawakel (UAE) (4): Richard Hills/Saeed bin Suroor -
1998 - Silver Charm (USA) (4): Gary Stevens/Bob Baffert -
1997 – Singspiel (GB) (5): Jerry Bailey/Michael Stoute -
1996 – Cigar (USA) (6): Jerry Bailey/Bill Mott -
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Godolphin.jpg320548Andy Newtonhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngAndy Newton2024-03-29 13:56:222024-03-29 16:42:152024 Dubai World Cup Trends
As a recent Racing Post article by their feature writer Julian Muscat outlined, Charlie Appleby, Godolphin and, usually, William Buick have been utterly dominant throughout the first two months of the Dubai Carnival at Meydan, seemingly knocking off the Group races at will, writes Tony Stafford. It was becoming almost as boring, and routine, he said, as had Willie Mullins at the Dublin Racing Festival and no doubt will be next week at Cheltenham. (I wasn’t the only one, it seems!)
Thank goodness, then, for one of the much-diminished squad of UK trainers who was happy to take them on. Step forward William Knight. It was at last year’s Carnival that his then seven-year-old Sir Busker suffered a freak incident that at the time looked to have ended his career as the Knight stable standard-bearer.
“You wouldn’t mind so much if it had happened in a dirt race”, he recalled during a barren summer, looking back at his shock when the fragment from the kicked-back piece of turf that landed square in Sir Busker’s eye and necessitated surgery and a long spell of rehab in Dubai after his race on last year’s World Cup night.
Happily, the gelding eventually returned to the UK, running a few times, adding a couple of places in autumn handicaps at Newcastle to career earnings of more than half a million for owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds and six wins, including at Royal Ascot.
Ironically, you might say, both Nick Robinson, whose founding of Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds was the impetus for syndicate ownership in the UK, and Neville Callaghan, long-term incumbent of Rathmoy Stables, now Knight’s beautiful base in Newmarket’s Hamilton Road, died in the last few months of 2023.
The year had started promisingly for him, with three wins by the first week of February. Amazingly, though, over the next seven months just two more successes came, for Paradise Row at Chelmsford during Royal Ascot week and Bunker Bay in a four-horse handicap at Yarmouth in July.
I remember him telling me: “We aren’t doing anything different, and the horses seem to be well, but they just aren’t winning.”
You can imagine his frustration and indeed fears for the future. The sales were coming up and all he could point to were five wins in the calendar year. Then somehow it changed. Some younger horses came along to live up to their promise, and crucially he managed to restock a fair amount at the yearling auctions. Last week came news of three new horses coming from an exciting high-value operation managed by his bloodstock agent brother, Richard.
Anyway, by the end of the year he had pushed the tally to 16, below what had become his norm but reassuring all the same after the travails of midsummer. One of the wins came from a two-year-old filly by the US sire Frosted out of a War Front mare that had been bred in the States by Rabbah Bloodstock, part of the sprawling worldwide Sheikh Mohammed enterprise. Godolphin Lite you might say.
Called Frost At Dawn she came to Rathmoy in the ownership of one of the regular Rabbah patrons, Abdulla Al Mansoori, who previously had the odd horse with Knight. William had suffered numbers-wise last year after Rabbah’s restructuring led to its biggest entity in the yard cutting back appreciably.
Frost At Dawn made her debut in late October, amid the Knight revival, taking the well-trod 490-mile round trip from Newmarket to Newcastle – laughingly described by the trainer as “my local track”, so often has he used it to educate and win with inexperienced horses from his yard.
She ran well, finishing a promising second, yet was allowed to start at 10/1 when easily winning three weeks later at nearby Chelmsford. The decision was then made to target some of the valuable fillies’ prizes for juveniles either side of the New Year.
Having started off with a second place at seven furlongs in late December, Knight understandably pushed her up a furlong for her next race early in January and she clearly didn’t stay. I think the Racing Post comment “pressed pace, upsides two furlongs out, folded tamely” was a little harsh, and it was back a furlong again next time when once more she led through the race but didn’t get home.
That brought the realisation that she was probably a sprinter. Her fourth race in Dubai was her career first over as short as six furlongs last month. Starting 40/1, again she took up the running, and this time was beaten on the line by the Godolphin favourite.
The common denominator in all of this was her speed, and now William took the plunge, entering her for the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint sponsored by Emirates Skywards. Having been confined to racing against her own age and sex, this was a different matter altogether. It’s an all-aged race open to both sexes and it drew a 15-runner field, only three of which – William’s filly, the Godolphin hotpot Star Of Mystery, and a colt that started 100/1 and finished 14th, were the sole three-year-olds in the line-up.
I spoke to William before the race and he pointed out that while there was a massive disparity in their official ratings and prices, the form line through a Ralph Beckett filly called Starlust with the favourite suggested Frost At Dawn had only one length to find.
Star Of Mystery, of course, was an Appleby / Buick / Godolphin 4/9 shot against Frost At Dawn’s 33/1 – “unbelievable each-way value”, said William in his comments for the From The Stables service I edit every day. This opinion was markedly at variance with the official handicap figures as she had 21lb to find, and of course the market. She emphatically proved both wrong.
Down now to five furlongs for the first time, Frost At Dawn took up the running two furlongs out and then sprinted away under Mickael Barzalona to win by two and a half lengths in track record for the Meydan five furlongs. Admittedly, times were fast on Saturday, but when you consider the legions of smart Godolphin and other sprinters that must have graced that turf course in the 15 seasons since the track superseded Nad Al Sheba, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the time and performance.
Also impressive is the way William Knight soldiered on through the tough times and has come out smiling – well maybe just a hint of one. As to where the UK handicappers will rate Frost At Dawn after this brilliant performance is another question. He could well have to keep her to Group and other stakes races from now on.
Those older sprinters behind her included two well-tested horses from Ireland and the UK, apart from the favourite who has a 113 rating and won a couple of times for Charlie Appleby in a busy two-year-old season last year as well as her Dubaian exploits. Additionally, Johnny Murtagh’s five-year-old mare Ladies Church, a four-time winner, who was 8th, 9.75 lengths behind is rated 104, 4lb less than Charlie Hills’ Equality, who at six boasts five wins, and trailed in a near-eleven lengths 12th. Only the last horse home went into the race with a lower rating than the winner and most of those in between were well into the 100’s.
There are few more personable people in racing than William Knight. I’ve known him for a good while now and I couldn’t be more pleased with that astonishing result. Let’s hope a certain two-year-old son of Kodiac, sire of Star Of Mystery, lives up to early promise. Meanwhile he will be anticipating the prospect of the potential for horses being sent to him from the breeze-ups which will be on us all too soon.
*
Now I must come to the shock and indeed embarrassment I felt with the news on Saturday that Mark Bradstock, the subject of last week’s article, had died. The story revolved around the amazing performance at Exeter of his horse Mr Vango, a 60-length winner a week last Friday and my belief he would stand a chance in the 3m6f National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham next week.
Bradstock, 66, whose widow Sara is the daughter of my long-term former Daily Telegraph colleague John, Lord Oaksey, had shown he could win big races, notably the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Hennessy Gold Cup with half-brothers Coneygree and Carruthers respectively.
I had no idea that he had been so ill, apparently for two years. Mark was highly thought of by his training peers and the one consolation, if there can be any in such awful circumstances, is that he must have been delighted to see one last impressive win from his family-run stable. I send my condolences to Sara and their two children Alfie and Lily.
TS
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FrostAtDawn_NadAlShebaSprint_WilliamKnight.png320830Tony Staffordhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngTony Stafford2024-03-04 08:20:082024-03-04 10:48:38Monday Musings: Darkest Before the Dawn
Last year’s 1000 Guineas winner Mawj has been retired from racing.
The four-year-old provided trainer Saeed bin Suroor with his first British Classic success in 14 years when holding off Tahiyrah by half a length a thrilling finish to the Newmarket contest.
Her season was then interrupted by a setback, with the daughter of Exceed And Excel eventually returning to action to win the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Stakes at Keeneland in October before rounding off her three-year-old campaign with a nose defeat at the hands of fellow Godolphin runner Master Of The Seas in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Saeed bin Suroor (left) paid tribute to Mawj (David Davies/Jockey Club)
Mawj disappointed on her return in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan last month and it has been decided to call time on her career, bowing out the winner of six of her 11 starts, with her juvenile highlight coming when claiming the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
Bin Suroor told www.godolphin.com: “Mawj is a very special filly, who showed her brilliance throughout her racing career. It was a fantastic day when she won the 1000 Guineas and I was especially pleased that it was her who provided me with my 500th Group race victory out in Keeneland.
“She proved herself against the best horses across the world, winning in Dubai, the UK and the United States as well as finishing second in a Breeders’ Cup Mile. Everyone at Al Quoz and Godolphin Stables is going to miss her but we look forward to the next stage of her life as a broodmare.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/272065774-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-02-07 09:58:462024-02-07 09:58:46Classic victor Mawj retired to stud
Ancient Wisdom, impressive winner of the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last week, is to be supplemented for next Saturday’s Kameko Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi colt improved his record to three wins from four outings with a dominant display on the Rowley Mile.
His sole defeat came at the hands of Richard Hannon’s subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere winner Rosallion in an Ascot Listed race in July.
Following a workout on Saturday morning, he impressed Appleby sufficiently enough to book a ticket to the final Group One of the UK season.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from Godolphin, read: “Ancient Wisdom, brilliant winner of the Group Three Autumn Stakes on Future Champions Day @NewmarketRace, worked well this morning and the intention is to supplement him for next weekends Group One Futurity Stakes @DoncasterRaces.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/274151411-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-10-21 08:45:262023-10-21 09:45:06Ancient Wisdom to be supplemented for Futurity Trophy
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