Poet’s Voice could be a supplementary benefit for Godolphin
When the raison d’être is to be the dominant force in world racing anything less than excellent does not count.
A total of four Group One winners, from two main trainers, by the onset of autumn was offering x-rated images of a seasonal tally not seen for more than a decade. Then four championship winners, on both sides of the Atlantic for Saeed bin Suroor, on the past two weekends brought a much better picture and breathed fresh life into a campaign that was in danger of flatlining.
Godolphin’s season was brought back to life, along with a packed house at Ascot, a fortnight ago when Poet’s Voice won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes under an inspired ride by Frankie Dettori. It could also be said to have been an inspired move to supplement the colt for the race because he had seemed far too headstrong earlier in the year to turn his undoubted talent into positive results.
However, now Bin Suroor and the rest of Sheikh Mohammed’s think tank now feel sufficiently emboldened to decide that Poet’s Voice will be supplemented for the Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, at Newmarket next Saturday, a change from the previous plan that had been for a crack at the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Mile, at Churchill Downs next month.
That would have entailed taking on the mighty Goldikova but the main reason for the switch is based on distance – a step up to 10 furlongs and not a long-haul flight. Explaining the decision Simon Crisford, Godolphin’s racing manager, said: “We have decided to supplement Poet’s Voice for the Champion Stakes instead of the Breeders’ Cup Mile to limit his travelling at this stage of his career.
“We also feel that 10 furlongs could be the best trip for him now that he is settled so well and it is possible that a sharp mile around two bends could work against him.”
The supplementary entry stage for the Champion Stakes is on Monday when Saamidd, the winner of the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, will be supplemented for the Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes where he may meet Frankel and perhaps Dream Ahead what will be the defining clash of juvenile colts in Europe this season.
Earlier this year Godolphin’s Group One success had been confined to the continent and both Bin Suroor and rookie trainer Mahmood al Zarooni have runners in the main races on the card at San Siro today.
Rio de la Plata has had his share of problems –and probably the share for a few others – but he just missed out in the Group One Prix du Moulin in September and now attempts a second win at championship level, since the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in his juvenile season, in the Premio Vittorio di Capua over a mile. He ran a fine race to be beaten a head to Fuisse in the Moulin at Longchamp and Bin Suroor said: “Rio de la Plata is working well and in good form. I am happy with him.
“There are some nice horses in the race but he has won a Group One and ran very well last time in a Group One so he must have a good chance. He prefers good ground so I hope it does not get very soft.”
The bulk of Al Zarooni’s string are two-year-olds and Biondetti aims to build on a promising start to his career in the Group One Gran Criterium. The Bernardini colt steps up to a mile after two easy victories over seven furlongs.
“We are going to judge him on this performance,” Al Zarooni said. “If he runs well, we will know we are dealing with a good horse. He won his maiden and then the conditions race he won had three horses running so it was a very easy race. He has not been challenged so far.
The challenge of winning Group One races is by what all at Godolphin are judged.
Tags: