NEWMARKET, ENGLAND // This time 12 months ago, Charlie Appleby stated that he wanted to see Godolphin taking on Ballydoyle on a level-playing field in Classic races within the next year or two.
It was a vision that highlighted how far down the greasy pole Godolphin had slipped since the first decade of their existence after the Dubai-based racing operation were set up in 1994 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President Of The UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
It is clear tangible progress has been made towards that aim ahead of Saturday’s sumptuous clash between Appleby’s Emotionless and Aidan O’Brien’s Air Force Blue in the Dewhurst Stakes.
Emotionless is unbeaten in two starts and is the overwhelming favourite to down Air Force Blue, a more battle-hardened campaigner who, after four starts, fits the mould better of recent winners of the £500,000 (Dh2.8m) contest.
The Dewhurst Stakes is traditionally seen as the high water mark for Europe’s juveniles, and with four winners progressing to Classic wins the following season in the last decade, Godolphin would have a lot to look forward to over the winter should Emotionless prevail.
First Victory won Friday’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes for Saeed bin Suroor. Last week at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at Longchamp, Godolphin’s Ultra won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere and is considered a Derby prospect for next year by trainer Andre Fabre. The future looks bright, even if Bin Suroor’s Promising Run fluffed her lines behind Ballydoyle’s impressive Minding in Friday’s Group 1 Fillies’ Mile.
On the breeding side, although Coolmore’s Galileo remains the pre-eminent stallion in Europe both Darley’s Dubawi and Cape Cross are close behind in second and third, and Sheikh Mohammed’s global stud also boasts Teofilo and Shamardal, Emotionless’s sire, in the top 10.
The Dewhurst Stakes takes pride of place at this two-day meeting, rebranded for this year as Future Champions Weekend, and its sponsorship by Dubai is unmistakable.
Prince Bishop and African Story, the past two Dubai World Cup winners, will parade here at lunchtime in a retraining of racehorses parade. The World Cup itself will form the centerpiece to the ‘Race For Excellence’, an interactive exhibition that celebrates Sheikh Mohammed’s contribution to the sport and underlines Darley and Godolphin’s input to the local Newmarket community.
But Godolphin’s progress this past year masks what has been far from a vintage season for the operation’s two mainstay trainers.
Godolphin’s move towards keeping more horses with other trainers has worked well for the operation as a whole, with Richard Hannon’s Night Of Thunder and Jim Bolger’s Pleascach delivering Group 1 wins in Europe. Jack Hobbs, who warmed up for next week’s Champion Stakes with a racecourse gallop before racing under the watchful eye of John Gosden, is another.
Godolphin stalwarts Kiaran McLaughlin in America and John O’Shea in Australia have also delivered wins at the top level this year alongside Fabre.
Since Bin Suroor won the Dubai World Cup in March, his combined haul in Europe with Appleby stands at a brace of Group 3 victories each and a Group 2 success apiece.
Godolphin’s royal blue silks powered by Bin Suroor’s horses up against Coolmore’s darker shade used to be a familiar sight on racecourses around the world.
For some, those were halcyon days but since then a new racing superpower has emerged in the form of Qatar, and it is Al Shaqab’s Shalaa who currently holds the crown of Europe’s leading juvenile.
Should Emotionless confirm his tall reputation on Saturday in what looks the classiest running of the race since Frankel faced off with Dream Ahead in 2010, he would almost certainly be crowned Europe’s top two year old.
Appleby gave Emotionless a racecourse gallop two weeks ago to acquaint him with the unique contours of going in to, and getting out of, Newmarket’s famous dip.
Experience of this idiosyncratic racecourse has not been a pre-requisite for victory in the past, but Appleby is leaving no stone unturned in seeking success.
It is a tactic that looks to have paid of for Godolphin these past 12 months.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
