Shamardal faces Kentucky trial
Last year’s champion two-year-old Shamardal goes on trial for America this weekend when he lines up in the UAE Derby.
The winner of the Dewhurst Stakes on his final start for Mark Johnston, the son of Giant’s Causeway will make his debut for his new Godolphin connections in Saturday’s $2m (€1.5m) contest.
And all eyes will be on the colt as he bids to book his place in the field for the Kentucky Derby in May – a race which Godolphin supremo Sheikh Mohammed has personally targeted for some time.
While reaction in America to some of Godolphin’s previous attempts to win the race has been predictably and justifiably luke-warm, the prospect of the unbeaten Shamardal heading to the US for the first leg of the Triple Crown shows just how serious Godolphin are about adding it to their roster of big races won.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford today confirmed that Shamardal would make his debut on dirt this weekend.
“He’s been training well on dirt but racing on it will be a whole different ball game,” he said.
“If he handles the surface really well and runs really well then maybe he will become a credible contender for the Kentucky Derby. He is an impressive horse in his faster paces but he has been a bit behind schedule so far and he is sure to come on for the run whatever he does on Saturday.
“We have learnt from the horses we have taken to Kentucky before – you’ve got to have the right horse and I think we can admit that that we haven’t had that before.
“You need a horse with plenty of pace who stays the trip thoroughly. If you get that right then I believe winning the race is achievable.
“What we need to know now is whether he goes on the surface and we’ll find that out on Saturday – until he’s done that he very much remains a 2000 Guineas contender.”
It is Shamardal’s stablemate, Dubawi, who currently heads the betting for that race on April 30 and Crisford confirmed that Newmarket would be the first target for the colt, along with another son of Dubai Millennium, Belenus.
“The Dubai Millennium story is far from over when you’ve got two very nice colts like these to think about,” said Crisford.
“At the same stage in their careers, Dubai Millennium was nowhere near as far forward as Dubawi is now – he has been a much more precocious horse.
“Everything is going well with him at the moment and we’re looking forward to training him for the Guineas and then the Derby.
“Dubawi is the right size for Epsom, he’s got the right attitude with great acceleration. He’s a very relaxed horse, very laid-back and he is bred to stay a mile and a half too.
“The way he is made he should be perfect for the track but we’ll really only find out on the day and that seems a long way away from now. Belenus is a lovely colt too, who won his only race well, and he is showing us stacks of potential.
“We’ve got a number of really exciting three-year-olds this year, not forgetting the fillies – Satin Kiss and Suez are the two we’ve got in mind for the 1000 Guineas at this stage.”
Among the older horses singled out as those set to carry Godolphin’s highest hopes for the season ahead are Papineau (being aimed at the Yorkshire Cup on May 13), Pepperstorm (a possible for the Lockinge) and Doyen.
Having set a new track record when blowing his rivals away in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, he followed up in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes before dramatically going off the boil.
But with him showing up well in training, hopes are high for Doyen and Frankie Dettori today nominated the five-year-old as his horse to follow for the season.
“He showed us what he can do last season and I think he is coming back to his real best,” said the Italian.
“He might run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh or maybe the Coronation Cup at Epsom. He is a seriously good horse.”
