Bin Suroor, Appleby help Godolphin stamp authority in Cape Verdi and UAE 1000 Guineas
- Duane Fonseca
- Jan 28, 2021
- 3 min read
By Duane Fonseca
Dubai: Godolphin gained massively from the competitiveness of their training pair wintering in Dubai as Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby’s flourishing yards supplied His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global racing and breeding operation with a quartet on the six race Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan Thursday night.
Bin Suroor and Appleby won twice each with Frankie Dettori riding a brace for the former and James Doyle and Mickael Barzalona supplying a win each for the latter. Furthermore, the pair helped Godolphin assert its supremacy in two of the top races on the Carnival programme in the Group 2 Cape Verdi for fillies and mares and the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, the first Classic of the UAE season.
Godolphin have dominated the 1600m Cape Verdi in recent years, winning it in all bar two renewals since 2011 and they were on target Thursday night as well with Appleby’s Doyle driven Althiqa producing a good turn of foot down the middle to lead 300m from home and win by a two and a quarter lengths from Roger Varian’s Stylistique with Andrea Atzeni aboard. A further length back was Dubai Love for Bin Suroor with Pat Cosgrave up.
It was Appleby’s second success on the card and arrived on the heels of the Barzalona piloted Ya Hayati’s victory in the Zabeel Turf, a Listed Handicap over 2000m where the pair finished with a length and a quarter to spare from stable companion Bright Melody driven by Doyle. Third in, two and three fourths of a length adrift, was Star Safari, also trained by Appleby and ridden by William Buick.
Bin Suroor and Dettori struck in the last two contests of the night, with Soft Whisper a resounding seven length winner of the UAE 1000 Guineas presented by Longines. Heshmah set the pace in the 1600m contest, but weakened under sustained pressure from Soft Whisper and ceded the advantage at the 600m mark from where the latter built on strongly to win by seven lengths from Doug Watson’s other charge Mnasek, ridden by Dane O’Neill. Super Chianti for the same trainer was third a further two and a quarter lengths back in the hands of Pat Dobbs.
Emirati Bin Suroor and Dettori might have endured a nervous moment in the final race as Bedouin’s Story denied stablemate Dubai Mirage on the line in the Longines Spirit Collection Trophy, a turf handicap over 1600m. Judges used the photo finish to determine it was the 6yo Farrh gelding who poked his nose in ahead of the Hector Crouch ridden Dubai Mirage. A further neck back in third was Zainhom, ridden by Antonio Fresu for Musabbeh Al Mheiri.
Visiting Brazilian handler Antonio Cintra, representing Uruguay, picked up his fourth ever UAE success when opening his account for the season in the Al Bastakiya Trial, a Conditions event on 1900m of dirt. El Patriota brought Cintra success in the hands of Vagner Leal, storming to a two length victory with a late flourish. Placing second was Watson’s Speight’spercomete with Sam Hitchcott up, while back in third by a head was Fawzi Nass’ Endifaa with Adrie de Vries in the saddle.
Helal Alalawi will be licking his lips in anticipation as he looks forward to the PA Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night after RB Frynchh Dude dropped his name in the hat when claiming a stylish two and a half length success in the PA Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 over 1900m.
Pat Cosgrave kept the PA Group 2 Al Madjani Stakes winner just off the pace set by Brraq in the card opener, with RB Frynchh Dude coming up with a thundering run down the outside after receiving his orders. Jean-Claude Pecout’s Al Maktoum Challenge R1 winner Brraq tried to put hold his own but momentum was clearly with Alalawi’s charge who sped past his rival to win handsomely. Finishing third a further three lengths behind the De Vries ridden Brraq was Ahmed Al Mehairbi’s Dagui Lotois with Connor Beasley up.
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