Poet's Voice hits a flat note

A last-placed finish adds to more disappointment in Godolphin trainer Bin Suroor's season.

Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has had a rough season.

Saeed bin Suroor's fallow season continued Saturday when Poet's Voice, the favourite, finished last in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

The Godolphin trainer won the race last year with Frankie Dettori in the saddle, but the same combination could not deliver this time for the operation's founder, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, the Vice President of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai.

Emerald Commander, Bin Suroor's other hope, could only manage fifth.

However, there was some reason for cheer for the Emirati trainer at Windsor, where Prince Siegfried won the Group 3 Stakes, improving his record to three wins from 35 Group races in Britain this season.

The victory by The Royal Applause colt was piloted by Ted Durcan, who finished ahead of Dux Scholar, the favourite, and Simon De Montfort, the Godolphin horse trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Rakasa, meanwhile, had to settle to second place in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood Saturday.

In other news, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed's Namibian remains in intensive care after having undergone surgery for colic on Friday.

Although trainer Mark Johnston said the three-year-old colt is "back on his feet", he will not be seen for the rest of the season - including in the St Leger.

The Middleham handler said on his website, www.markjohnston.com: "Namibian was found to be showing signs of colic [on Friday morning] and our vet, John Martin, attended and treated him at 5.30am. By 7.30 am, when he was not responding to the initial treatment, a decision was made to transfer him to the Newmarket Equine Hospital and, on arrival there, they decided to operate.

"He is back on his feet [on Friday evening], but he has undergone major abdominal surgery and part of his bowel has been bypassed.

"He will remain under intensive care for a few days, and we must now hope that there are no complications. Whatever happens, he will not be racing again this year."

Sunday, Godolphin's Time Prisoner bids for back-to-back Group 3 wins in the six-furlong Prix de Meautry - Lucien Barriere at Deauville, France.

Elsewhere, the Dubai operation's African Story seeks a second win of the season, and a first in Pattern company, when he contests the Group 3 Prix Quincey - Lucien Barriere over a mile at the same venue.