Godolphin accomplished another milestone by saddling their 350th Group 1 winner with a double at the Woodbine Racecourse in Canada on Sunday.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Albahr under jockey Frankie Dettori brought up the 350 mark with victory in the Summer Stakes 35 minutes after the trainer-jockey pairing were successful with Wild Beauty in the Natalma Stakes on the same card.
Last week Godolphin crossed the 7,000-winner mark since Dubai’s racing operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, was founded in 1992.
Albahr completed a Group 1 treble for the Royal Blues in the space of 24 hours at Woodbine after Appleby-Dettori bagged the Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes with Walton Street on Saturday.
“Albahr has done it nicely and it was a very similar race to Wild Beauty in the Natalma Stakes,” Alex Merriam of Godolphin told their website.
“They have gone hard up front and Frankie has given the horse a great ride. He said he got a good trip, kicked on turning in and put good distance between them, so it was impressive.
“We came over hoping all three horses would be competitive and they have shown that. The track here and the way the races are run have suited, so it has worked out well.
“Wild Beauty will go to Del Mar and this race was a 'Win and You’re In', so Albahr has every reason to go to the Breeders’ Cup as well. The way he has run today, you would like to think he would go there with half a chance.”
Albahr, who headed to Canada on the back of three consecutive wins in British, broke half a stride slow and raced towards the rear of the nine runners before moving up to sixth halfway down the back straight.
He was pushed along turning in and switched wide in the straight as Godolphin’s other runner in the mile contest, Degree Of Risk, quickened well to dispute the running a furlong and a half from home.
Dettori took his mount to join Degree Of Risk and First Empire in front soon after, with the Dubawi gelding going on for a two and a quarter-length success.
Albahr’s success received a guaranteed place in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on November 5.
Wild Beauty punched her ticket for the Breeders’ Cup as she overcame a troubled start to post an easy success.
The Frankel filly jinked left leaving the stalls and was buffeted on both sides, forcing her to race in last of the 10 runners early on.
She recovered some ground down the back straight and quickened strongly after being switched wide by Dettori, taking up the running a furlong-and-a-half from home to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
“Wild Beauty jumped with the rest of the field but got squeezed and backed off,” Dettori said.
“Luckily for me they were going a pretty honest pace in front, and by the time I got to the quarter-pole, they all fell in my lap. She stays really well, so it worked out quite well.
“It will be a 14-strong field at Del Mar and she will need the draw, while the stretch is very short, so you will need all the luck. She definitely has the talent to make a good account of herself, but it’s a very different ball game compared to Woodbine.”
