Godolphin hit treble tops
They showed that with victories from Ballinteni, Double Deputy and Her Own Kind at Doncaster today to make it 112 winners for the campaign.
The two-year-olds have made a major contribution to the tally with 56 successes and both Ballinteni and Her Own Kind looked promising youngsters when registering impressive victories.
Frankie Dettori, who with yesterday’s three-timer has now ridden 77 of the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained winners, was always going nicely on the newcomer Ballinteni (5-1) in the first division of the Dransfield Novelty Company EBF October Maiden Stakes.
Full Of Zest went on just after halfway, but Ballinteni followed her through and when switched to the outside, the son of Machiavellian quickened well on the soft ground to take the lead and win going away by two and a half lengths.
Bin Suroor said: “He was a very weak horse and very backward who just needed time. It was only a month ago that he started to work OK. He will learn from this and will improve. He will be a lot better horse next year.”
Dettori and Bin Suroor were on the mark again when Double Deputy made virtually all the running in the Persimmon Homes Handicap.
Double Deputy (6-1) settled well once in the lead in the extended 10-furlong race but he looked in trouble when Iktitaf cruised up to challenge in the straight.
However, the Godolphin colt would not be denied and rallying gamely, began to get back on top. The came just in time for him as Another Choice flashed home to get within a neck at the line. Bin Suroor said: “We’ll take him back to Dubai. Next year he may need a mile and a half and we might aim him at some nice handicaps, but we’ll see.”
The 74.6-1 treble was completed when Her Own Kind (4-5) cruised home in the Auker Rhodes Plue Parrot EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
“She’s nice, but you can’t really tell on that ground,” said Dettori after dismounting.
He is 21 clear of championship rival Kieren Fallon, and the Italian added: “He can’t catch me now.”
