Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was once considered a leading British Classic contender by Godolphin, and while Meydan's G3 Singspiel S. is a far cry from those lofty targets, Thursday's win nonetheless indicated that the now 5-year-old may now be prepared to fulfill some of that early promise after being gelded.
Not that Dream Castle disappointed in the 3-year-old features. After breaking his maiden on debut in early April 2017, the bay was pitched straight into the G3 Greenham S. and finished second to the subsequent Group 1-winning miler Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). He was fifth in both the G1 2000 Guineas and Royal Ascot's G3 Jersey S., and was campaigned exclusively in Dubai last year after finishing second in Turkey's G2 International Topkapi Trophy.
His best effort in four outings at four was a third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, behind Group 1-winning sprinter Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the seven-furlong G2 Al Fahidi Fort, and he was put away for the year and gelded after beating just two home in the Mar. 10 G3 Burj Nahaar.
Making his seasonal debut on Thursday and stepping up to nine furlongs for the first time, Dream Castle was well covered up in midpack down the backstretch as Grade I winner Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) set the pace and last year's Royal Hunt Cup winner Settle For Bay raced wide and without cover. As they rounded the turn, Christophe Soumillion steered Dream Castle into the clear on the outside and they began a rally. Sweeping to the lead passing the furlong marker, Dream Castle ran out a comfortable winner and the first of a Godolphin top five.
“I talked with Pat Cosgrave a lot before the race because he knows the horse better than any other jockey,” said rider Christophe Soumillion. “He told me the horse has changed a lot this year, and was much more settled in the morning track-work. I could feel it straight when I was going down the start, and he was really settling down. The big race for him now will probably be the [Dubai] Turf over the same distance; I am sure he can run between seven furlongs and 1800 metres without a problem, it just depends on the pace.”
Pedigree Notes
A homebred for Godolphin, Dream Castle is the second foal and first stakes winner out of the G2 Flying Childers S. winner Sand Vixen (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The mare has a 2-year-old colt by Dawn Approach (Ire) and a yearling son of Dark Angel (Ire).
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
SINGSPIEL S. PRESENTED BY LONGINES V H P COLLECTION-G3, $200,000, Meydan, 1-3, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:49.40, gd.
1–DREAM CASTLE (GB), 126, g, 5, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $119,931), by
Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed
bin Suroor; J-Christophe Soumillon. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
GSP-Eng & Tur, 11-2-2-1, $321,722. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Racing History (Ire), 126, h, 7, Pivotal (GB)–Gonbarda (Ger),
by Lando (Ger). O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Saeed bin
Suroor. $40,000.
3–Salsabeel (Ire), 126, g, 5, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Tokyo Rose
(UAE), by Jade Robbery. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Charlie
Appleby. $20,000.
Margins: 1HF, HD, 3. Also Ran: Team Talk (GB), Bay of Poets (Ire), Light the Lights (SAf), Escalator (GB), Furia Cruzada (Chi), Gm Hopkins (GB), Degas (Ger), Deauville (Ire), Key Victory (Ire), Hornsby (GB), Settle For Bay (Fr), Musaddas (GB), Arod (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
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