Godolphin’s two chances to embellish impressive record
Sheikh Mohammed’s operation were lucky enough to win it for four out of five years between 1998 and 2002 – but have been winless since.
The likes of Fantastic Light and Dubai Millennium are on the roll of honour for the boys in blue, who this year rely on Cavalryman, third in the Arc last year when trained by Andre Fabre, and Allybar, third in the Dubai World Cup in March.
Cavalryman is now trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ran respectably in the Coronation Cup at the Derby meeting.
“Cavalryman is in good form at the moment. The Coronation Cup was his first start of his European campaign and he ran a good race on his first appearance since Dubai,” said Bin Suroor.
“He came out of that run in good heart and I have been pleased with his preparation for Royal Ascot.
“Dropping back to a stiff 10 furlongs should suit him and I am hopeful that he can run well.”
Allybar surprised many with his big run on World Cup night behind Gloria De Campeao and aims to give first-season trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni the biggest win of his career.
“Allybar looks fit and healthy. His run in the Dubai World Cup was his best to date and the only thing against him is that he hasn’t had a run before this race,” Al Zarooni told www.godolphin.com.
“He will be fine with 10 furlongs and it will be interesting to see how he gets on at Ascot – several horses with form at the course seemed to run very well on the Tapeta at Meydan earlier this year, so I am hopeful that the reverse could be true.
“He is in good form and he goes to Ascot with a chance.”
Tom Queally’s career has really taken off in the last couple of seasons since his partnership with Henry Cecil has been cemented.
Group One victories are flowing again at Warren Place and Twice Over, their representative in this contest for the second successive year, has contributed to Cecil’s revival with victory in the Champion Stakes last season.
He was fourth last year but looked like collecting until the final 100 yards.
Queally expects him to put up another big show but sees Andre Fabre’s Byword, who is also owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah, as his main threat.
“He’s in very good form and this looks very winnable as it appears a slightly substandard Prince of Wales’s,” said Queally.
“He did disappoint on his only start this year in the Dubai World Cup, but I think he was not as acclimatised to the hot conditions as the first three home had all been based in Dubai for a few months.
“He did a very nice piece of work recently and is feeling very well in himself.
“He ran a hell of race to finish fourth in this last year and one furlong out you’d have thought there was no way he wouldn’t be in the shake-up.
“Byword looks the main danger, although I think he was flattered to get within half a length of Goldikova last time, and Mawatheeq obviously got to within the same distance of Twice Over in the Champion Stakes so merits respect.
“But I wouldn’t swap mine for anything in the race,” he told his Racing UK blog.
Mawatheeq progressed from winning a handicap at Doncaster off 102 last September to finishing second to Twice Over in the Champion Stakes just a month later.
He has yet to run this season due to a series of niggling problems and Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, would have preferred it if the race was a few weeks later for Marcus Tregoning’s five-year-old.
“It will probably come a bit quick for him in terms of his preparation, Marcus could have done with another three weeks just to get the horse spot-on,” said Gold.
“In saying that, Marcus feels he is in good form and is ready for a run and obviously we are hoping he can run creditably.
“It’s too early to say what his next race might be. The Eclipse is possible as is the King George so we’ll see how he performs and how he comes out of this first.”
The owner also runs Tazeez, just pipped in the Brigadier Gerard on his latest start and fifth in the race last year.
“Tazeez ran a lovely race last time. He’s a good, tough horse and he deserves his chance,” added Gold.
“He ran well in it last year and he’ll be a good second string.”
The Aga Khan’s Shalanaya won the Prix de l’Opera last season and finished a fine fourth in the QEII Cup in Japan in November.
On her return to action, Mikel Delzangles’ filly was second to Godolphin’s Cutlass Bay in the Prix Ganay.
“She’s in very good form and has improved since her first run of the year at Longchamp,” said Delzangles.
“She ran a very good race and was a bit unlucky as they went very slow which she doesn’t like very much.
“I’m sure she will prefer the type of race that is run in England.
“It is a very competitive race and she’ll be the only filly running.
“She is a tiny filly and you won’t see her much in between all those big horses, but she has a good turn of foot and plenty of quality.
“She will be very happy on the good ground.”
