International Glory For Ghaiyyath

Godolphin's Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) continues to go from strength to strength and only had to go about his usual business to add Wednesday's star-studded G1 Juddmonte International to his G1 Coronation Cup and G1 Eclipse S. triumphs. Always content on the front end with William Buick holding on to something, the 11-8 favourite was brought up the centre of the home straight and stayed out of reach of Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win by three lengths, with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths away in third. “This horse can do all the things most horses can't. His high cruising speed, the way he keeps going and at the business end he has another gear just to finish the race off completely,” Buick said. “I love him. He's a high-class horse and he's now got everything on his CV. He's beaten the best around at this trip. He's the best I've ridden without a doubt.”

Despite the line-up being anything but ordinary, this was remarkably uneventful as a race and once Ghaiyyath had shed the attentions of the G3 Musidora S. winner Rose of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) soon after the start it was a case of plain sailing. Dubai Millennium (GB) never had the chance to strut his stuff on this pan-flat terrain, but his paternal grandson is making a stellar effort of appearing as his ultimate tribute act in 2020. There were already shades of the extraordinary in his G2 Prix d'Harcourt win at ParisLongchamp last April, but for every big performance during that season there was a drop-off that followed.

Another of his tours de force came in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden in September, where he issued a 14-length beating to the recent group 1 winner Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}), with another 4 1/4 lengths back to the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Laccario (Ger) (Scalo {GB}), but the downside of that was his subsequent 10th in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The real test of whether he could stand up to a racing schedule this year came in the Eclipse, with his spellbinding display in the re-routed Coronation Cup at Newmarket June 5 too far away from his 8 1/2-length success in the Feb. 20 G3 Dubai Millennium at Meydan. With Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in opposition there, any faltering would have been punished but Ghaiyyath stayed strong all the way up Sandown's unforgiving hillclimb to the line.

Presented with a different test here, he was equally at home pounding along on the even strip of green that runs along the Knavesmire and by the time he had reached the two pole it was clear that he had put Magical in just as uncomfortable a place as Enable had in last year's Yorkshire Oaks. Despite the typically genuine chase of the second favourite, there was no hope to be found for Ryan Moore as the leader continued in his merciless fashion. Connections of the G1 2000 Guineas winner Kameko (Kitten's Joy) found out in the last half a furlong that a mile is where he needs to be as he cracked and let Lord North by, but this was simply all about the winner who deserves to be placed in the elite on the honour roll.

Charlie Appleby commented, “I'm delighted with that performance today. To have a horse like that on our hands is an honour. It was a fantastic ride by William and a nice race to watch. He got into a lovely rhythm and I knew coming up the straight, once I saw William gather him up and change his hands, I was confident he would gallop on strongly to the line. It has been noticeable post-race this year that we have been dealing with a mature horse. Thankfully, Ghaiyyath has hit every target. It can be challenging at times but he hasn't let us down at all.”

Appleby has a rematch with Enable on his mind now and added, “The Arc has always been in our mind–we ran him in the race last year because we felt he was an Arc contender–and I think, on what we have seen this season, he seems to have it all in his bag at the moment. I think everyone will agree that it was very soft ground in the Arc last year and we were drawn out in stall 12, so we wanted to get on the front-end because we felt that it was his style. I think we all held our hands up and said it was the wrong decision as he was doing far too much and never finished the race off at all.”

“We always felt that a mile and a half around two turns in the Breeders' Cup Turf would be his gig, but we are all in the same position in this unprecedented year,” he added. “We don't know if we will be able to travel or not, so it's a matter of firstly appreciating today, enjoying it all and making sure Ghaiyyath is fit and well. Then we can start to map out where we might be able to try and get to. I feel he deserves to be up there with the Godolphin greats. Knowing how sporting His Highness is, I would say a percentage call on whether Ghaiyyath stays in training next year would hopefully be yes.”

John Gosden said of Lord North, “He found the ground a little loose–James [Doyle] said when he asked him to quicken he was spinning his wheels a little. It is a little loose out there with the rain on it. He's finished off well to be third and we're delighted. The winner is great–if you let him bowl in front you'll never see him again. We'll look at the [G1] Irish Champion Stakes next with our horse.” Andrew Balding said of Kameko, “It looked like he didn't stay. Oisin [Murphy] felt he travelled into the race really well and just didn't see it out. We'll go back to a mile. We've got limited options, because he wouldn't want the ground too soft, so we'll just have to see.”

Ghaiyyath's dam is the Late Gita Weld's runaway G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who also produced the GI Man o'War S., G3 Kilternan S. and G3 Blue Wind S. winner Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and the listed-placed Sleeping Beauty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The latter is in turn the dam of the GIII With Anticipation S. runner-up Irish Territory (Ire) (Declaration of War), while Zhukova was purchased by Godolphin for 3.7million gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Nightime's full-sister Phaenomena (Ire) has produced King of Koji (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), winner of this year's G2 Meguro Kinen.

The second dam is the Listed Platinum S. winner Caumshinaun (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who is connected to the GI Sword Dancer Invitational hero King's Drama (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}). Nightime's 2-year-old full-brother to Ghaiyyath topped the 2018 Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 700,000gns and he is named New Kingdom (Ire). At Goffs November, her latest son of Dubawi set a new record when again being knocked down to Godolphin for €1.2million. Her 2020 foal is a son of Kingman (GB).

Wednesday, York, Britain
JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL S.-G1, £275,000, York, 8-19, 3yo/up, 10f 56yT, 2:07.38, gd.
1–GHAIYYATH (IRE), 132, h, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Nightime (Ire) (G1SW-Ire, $299,507), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Caumshinaun (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ridge Pool (Ire), by Bluebird
(€1,100,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV). O-Godolphin; B-Springbank Way Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £155,953. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 11-14, G1SW-Ger, MGSW & G1SP-Fr, GSW-UAE, 12-9-0-2, $969,302. *1/2 to Zhukova (IRE) (Fastnet Rock (AUS)), Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, GISW-USA & MGSW-Ire, $499,594; and Sleeping Beauty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magical (Ire), 129, m, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £59,125.
3–Lord North (Ire), 132, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Najoum, by Giant's Causeway. O-HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-John Gosden. £29,590.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.38, 2.25, 4.00.
Also Ran: Kameko, Rose of Kildare (Ire). Scratched: Aspetar (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.