Newmarket// Godolphin's Territories had no answer to the power surge of Aidan O'Brien's Gleneagles in the English 2,000 Guineas here on Saturday.
In the final 300 metres, jockey Mickael Barzalona was urging Territories for all he was worth to catch Gleneagles, ridden with aplomb by Ryan Moore, but at the line there were two-and-a-quarter lengths between the two colts.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Estidkhaar and Intilaaq were 14th and 15th, respectively.
Gleneagles beat Territories into third when he was first past the post in Paris in October at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting, and a third attempt from Territories to try to knock out his rival could well take place at Royal Ascot next month.
Both Gleneagles and Territories are entered in the St James’s Palace Stakes, but Godolphin France trainer Andre Fabre did not seem hopeful of reversing the form.
“We were not unlucky, and I have no complaints,” Fabre said.
“The hardest thing is to admit that you are beaten by a better horse, but today we do admit it.”
There were 18 runners in the 1,600-metre contest, which is staged on a undulating straight, and Fabre’s one ray of hope was that Ascot’s round course and the prospect of fewer runners might assist the Godolphin challenger.
O’Brien matched the record of seven winners in the first Classic of the British season set by John Scott in the late 1800s, and it is highly unlikely that he will not surpass that landmark in the next few seasons.
When asked whether Gleneagles was as exciting a miler that had passed through his famous Ballydoyle training facility in Ireland, O’Brien replied: “I’d say he is. A miler by Galileo that travels the way he does and gets there, you would have to say that.”
Godolphin did not go away without a winner, however. Saeed bin Suroor’s Best Of Times advertised his English Derby credentials with a solid win over Balios, owned by Al Asayl, in the Listed Newmarket Stakes. The international stable also owned Tempus Temporis, who was third.
Godolphin have a prime opportunity to strike back at Ballydoyle immediately when Lucida takes her chance Sunday in the English 1,000 Guineas.
Trained by Jim Bolger in Ireland and to be ridden by Kevin Manning, Lucida has not seen racecourse action since disappointing here in the Fillies’ Mile in October on her final juvenile run.
“She’s been working very well at home. We’ve been very pleased with her and didn’t feel that she needed to run in a trial,” Manning said. “Jim tends to send one straight there if he thinks they are good enough.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportUAE
