The Dante meeting at York Racecourse in the north of England is always a rich environment for putting Classic pretensions on trial and Godolphin are using today’s card to establish a pecking order for the future.
The Dubai-based operation run four in the featured Dante Stakes, a race over an extended 2,000 metres that is one of the best indicators towards success in the English Derby.
Saeed bin Suroor saddles Benbatl, a twice-raced son of Dubawi, who was third in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on his last start and is considered the best of the Royal Blue quartet.
Charlie Appleby fields Wolf County, another son of Dubawi who showed he will relish the rain-softened Knavesmire when he won a Listed contest in France 17 days ago.
And then there are the two who have recently been absorbed in to the Godolphin fold.
In February Godolphin bought a share in Swiss Storm, a son of the mighty Frankel, trained by David Elsworth, who could also enjoy the soft conditions. Syphax, who is trained in Yorkshire by Kevin Ryan and who won the Acomb Stakes at the track last season, was bought in March.
Eleven horses have used the Dante Stakes as a nursery for experience before stepping up to win the Derby at Epsom, but that only tells half the story.
In 2002, Moon Ballad won the Dante Stakes for Godolphin before he finished a fine third in the Derby. The following season he was transferred to dirt and won the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba.
Classic Cliche was Godolphin’s first winner of the Dante Stakes in 1995 and he went on to become a stayer nonpareil.
Campaigned with aplomb by Bin Suroor he won the English St Leger later that campaign before the following season he took the Yorkshire Cup and Gold Cup at Ascot.
John Ferguson, the Godolphin chief executive, is looking forward to seeing them all run against John Gosden’s Cracksman, the favourite among the field off 11 runners, but is mindful of what part the race plays in the infant European turf season.
“You can use the Dante to sort out where you go with these horses,” he said. “We need to put the best horses in the best races.”
Godolphin have a third acquisition running on Thursday when Brian The Snail takes his chance in a classy Westow Stakes, a Listed contest over 1,000 metres. Brian The Snail was bought by Godolphin in March as a possible prospect for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next month.
He proved why when he impressed last month in victory at Pontefract racecourse. Brian The Snail is a big, burly horse who needed the race that day and is another who will like the rain.
“Rain helped me to make the decision to declare Brian The Snail,” trainer Richard Fahey said.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to run him over five furlongs on fast ground. The slower ground will help him. We like him a lot. It’s another stepping stone for him.”
Queen’s Trust, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner, heads the undercard when she clashes with top-class South African import Smart Call, who is now her stable companion at Michael Stoute’s Freemason Lodge, in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes.
Godolphin were out of luck in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes on Wednes when Comicas, the Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up, was the first of their trio home in third behind Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Tasleet and Magical Memory.
Winning trainer William Haggas stated afterwards that Tasleet would head for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next.
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