Saeed bin Suroor

The $180,000 G2 Al Rashidiya Presented By Azizi featured a Godolphin trifecta once the dust settled, as Valiant Prince (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) came out on top by three-quarters of a length over the better-fancied pair of Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Saeed bin Suroor, and Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). It was the second Friday of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, and a one/three finish for Charlie Appleby. The 1800-metre contest began with the eventual winner in close quarters under James Doyle and shuffled back to a...

by J.N. Campbell & Heather Anderson The pulse intensifies week-to-week at Meydan Racecourse, as it's almost a fortnight into the Dubai World Cup Carnival. A seven-race card this Friday sports the 1800-metre G2 Al Rashidiya Presented By Azizi, and a well-matched field of 11 will vie for group honours over the Meydan turf. That distance might be a touch long for Godolphin-bred, Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He is poised to make a splash in what is his 7-year-old debut for trainer Saeed bin Suroor as he points towards what...

A field of 12 was declared Sunday for the fourth running of the £600,000 G3 Bahrain International Trophy to be run over the 2000 metres Friday, Nov. 19, at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club. Magny Cours (Medaglia d'Oro) was beaten less than one length into third behind the since-retired Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) in last year's main event, and the US-bred galloper could be one of as many of four entrants this time around. The seven-year-old was victorious in the G3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud in 2021, but was...

Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is being prepared for a campaign in Australia later in the year after Saeed bin Suroor's 5-year-old featured among the 169 entries for the Cox Plate which takes place on Oct. 22 at Moonee Valley. Real World has chased home Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) twice over a mile this term and was set to compete over a-mile-and-a-quarter in the Eclipse before being ruled out of the Sandown showpiece late in the day. Bin Suroor is taking his time with the six-time winner...

Godolphin's homebred 2-year-old distaffer Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}--Modern Ideals {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) exhibited an impressive array of gears when earning 'TDN Rising Star' status by daylight in her May 14 debut over six furlongs at Newmarket's Rowley Mile venue and followed up with a second in Royal Ascot's June 17 G3 Albany S. in her only other start last time. Lining up as a 4-1 chance for Friday's bet365-sponsored G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. at HQ's July course, the G1 Moyglare Stud S. nominee bounced back...

Godolphin's Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), second in the G1 Lockinge S. and the G1 Queen Anne S. in May and June, respectively, has turned in a poor scope and will not run in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown on Saturday, trainer Saeed bin Suroor revealed. A winner at Group 2 level in France last October and in the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan in January, the 5-year-old entire would have had Frankie Dettori in the irons. "Frankie is our man, but unfortunately the horse is not going...

A day before her GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-winning half-brother Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is set to tackle the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the juvenile Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) did her own bit for family pride when powering to TDN Rising Star status at Newmarket. Sent off the outsider of three Godolphin runners in the six-furlong Denbury Homes British EBF Fillies' Novice S. at 12-1, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained homebred tracked the leaders travelling strongly under Ray Dawson. Launched on the stand's rail to lead...

The betting for the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas suggests that Godolphin has a very strong hand for Europe's early Classics, with Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a solid favourite and Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a clear second pick. However, such strength in depth brings its own complications. The European calendar boasts three principal Guineas races (chronologically, in Great Britain, France and Ireland) and the obvious aspiration when one has the two most likely candidates is to win all three.  It is a tough, albeit not impossible, assignment for one horse alone,...

Although he beat just three home in the G1 Saudi Cup a fortnight ago, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) could still stay on the dirt for the G1 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 26. Godolphin's 5-year-old came alive in Britain last summer, winning the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot followed by three straight black-type races culminating in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein in October, and he kicked off his campaign with victory in the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan on Jan. 28. Real...

1ST-Meydan, AED82,500, Cond., 3-3, NH/SH 3yo, 1400mT, 1:24.35, gd. MONAADAH (c, 3, Giant's Causeway--Almusafa, by Haafhd {GB}), one of three horses--and now three winners--in the final crop of the legendary 'Iron Horse' Giant's Causeway, made his debut a winning one at Meydan on Thursday. Joining GIII Sam F. Davis S. hero and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity third Classic Causeway and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Giant Game, the colt punched the breeze from the bell while out widest of all. Near the vanguard despite his isolation, he sidled over to...

With the Saudi Cup card taking top billing among this weekend's Gulf action, Friday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan has a quieter look than its predecessors in recent weeks, with just one black-type event. Godolphin holds a strong hand in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. named for its 2000 G1 Dubai World Cup winner and contested over 2000 metres on the grass, and its four runners-two apiece for Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor-are headed on ratings by Appleby's 6-year-old Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the...

Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) enjoyed an unbeaten European summer campaign last year for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor, and he made a seamless transition into his 4-year-old season on Friday with a comfortable win in Meydan's featured G2 Zabeel Mile. A five-length debut winner at Chelmsford City at the back end of his 2-year-old season in 2020, Real World finished second in a Meydan conditions race just before the turn of the calendar before going on to run with credit at the carnival, finishing third at the...