Godolphin, Hamdan eye big victories
Day of high quality racing at Ascot’s Champions Day and in Sydney
On a day when Godolphin take aim at the world’s richest turf race, the A$ 15 million The Everest at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Dark Vision will be their sole representative on British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse, the grand finale of the 2020 British flat racing season.
Trained by Mark Johnston, Dark Vision will be ridden by William Buick as he bids to give the Dubai- owned stable a sixth success in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes the mile- category final of the British Champions Series.
However, Godolphin, who have not won the straight mile since Poet’s Voice triumphed back in 2010, are under no illusions of the enormous challenge that Buick and his four- yearold colt face. As always, the race is ultra- competitive with 14 of Europe’s best milers — led by the unbeaten 4/ 5 favourite Palace Pier— set to face the starter.
Dark Vision earned his place in the race when running on strongly from the rear to capture the Royal Hunt Cup under Buick, and has subsequently posted two more wins over a mile, running on well to take the Listed Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract in July before storming home to edge out Half Light on the line in the Group 2 Oettingen Rennen at Baden- Baden, Germany, in September.
Epic season
Looking ahead to today’s test, Johnston told the Godolphin website: “We are really, really happy with Dark Vision. We were very keen after his win in Germany to have a shot at a G1 with him again and he is in great shape.
Meanwhile, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who is enjoying an epic season in the UK, is doubly represented with Nazeer and Molatham.
Judged on his impressive victory in the recent Sun Chariot Stakes, Nazeefis a leading contender while Royal Ascot scorer Molatham’s can’t be overlooked.