Bahrain: Given the level of Godolphin’s support for the Bahrain International Trophy during its short lifespan, it was always only a matter of time before the world’s #1 owner struck in the island nation’s most prestigious race.
Royal Ascot winner Dubai Future duly made the breakthrough in Friday’s fourth running of the G3 contest, in which the six-year-old led home a memorable one-two for longserving trainer Saeed Bin Suroor in front of a packed stand at Sakhir racecourse, where temperatures hit 32C.
In three previous editions, Sheikh Mohammed’s lavishly endowed operation had produced two second places and a third. But in the richest-ever running of the kingdom’s showcase event, Dubai Future turned around an eighth place finish 12 months ago to claim the winner’s share of the £600,000 prize for the UAE.
In the process, the gelded son of Dubawi also delivered a little bit of poetic justice for jockey Danny Tudhope, who had been due to partner 2021 winner Lord Glitters until injury forced him to hand the mount to Jason Watson.
“I was hopeful today as Dubai Future’s last run wasn’t too bad,” said Tudhope, who rode Dubai Future to Listed success in the Wolferton Stakes at the royal meeting in June.
“He has been in form and he likes fast going – he is handy, loves whizzing around a bend,” added the rider. “The race went to plan. We went an even gallop, I had a better draw and got a nice position and he picked up well to do what he had to do.”
Looking back on his misfortunes 12 months earlier, Tudhope said: “Last year I slipped a disc in my neck a few weeks prior to this race and I couldn’t make it. But to be honest it was still great to see Lord Glitters win – he has been an absolute legend of a horse. He had a great story behind him and for David O’Meara he has been a superstar.
“I actually rode work on him a week before he came out. I wasn’t fit enough to come and ride him but he had felt great then so I was glad he won.”
France’s Magny Cours, another Godolphin runner trained by Andre Fabre, reluctantly took on the role of pacemaker in Friday’s race. He kept on gamely for fourth but the race developed into a duel between Dubai Future and Passion And Glory, who crossed the line three quarters of a length apart with Riocorvo, trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, running into third another two lengths back.
The all-conquering Charlie Appleby and William Buick, who provided the fourth Godolphin runner, could manage only eighth with wide-drawn Royal Fleet, one place behind Irish G2 winner Insinuendo. Frankie Dettori, who flew in to partner Dilawar for Fawzi Nass, brought up the tail in last; indeed, the two Bahraini-trained runners finished ninth and tenth.
Dubai Future, Bin Suroor’s first Group winner since July, will return to Dubai to make his fourth appearance at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, where he has scored in each of the last three seasons. He also receives an automatic invitation to the G3 Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup undercard in Riyadh in February.
“Since he was here last year he won at Royal Ascot and has physically improved,” said the trainer. “That gave us the confidence to run him here again. I told the jockey this was a different horse to last year and to ride him handy. First and second is a good result.”
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