Godolphin eye season’s fourth Group 1 victory
dubai — Godolphin will be training their eyes on a fourth Group 1 win of the season when they go double-handed in Australia on Saturday.
The Dubai-based horse racing operation, owned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, have two runners in the 15-horse field for the Group 1 The Furphy Goodwood.
The sprint contest over six furlongs sees Trekking and Lyre go for the top prize at the Morphettville Racecourse, near Adelaide.
Leading the line for the connections is Trekking, the five-year-old son of 2002 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry.
Saddled by James Cummings and the mount of John Allen, Trekking has nine wins from 27 starts so far but his biggest victory was the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane last year.
And his conditioner Cummings said it will be intriguing to see how he fares as Trekking will be carrying the second top weight after Gytrash and Santa Ana Lane. “It’s an interesting race for Trekking,” said Cummings.
“He’s ticking over really well as he showed in a recent trial win at Flemington since a very good effort last start. He probably isn’t best-suited by the setweights and penalties conditions compared to a horse like The Inevitable who is pretty smart and gets 2.5kg off us. But he’s in the best of form, even though it was a little frustrating to be beaten last time,” added Godolphin Australia’s head trainer.
The other royal blue silks representative in the field is Lyre, trained by Anthony Freedman and the ride of Zac Spain.
The three-year-old filly from Lonhro, had a sensational debut season last year with a hat trick of wins including the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude.
“She had blinkers on for the first time at her last start and she seemed to benefit from them,” assistant trainer Sam Freedman, said of her previous start where she finished runner-up in the Group 1 Classic at the start of the month.
“She was never on the track and with a slightly better draw on Saturday she has the chance to run another good race,” he added.
Godolphin three Group 1 winners have been Colette in the Australian Oaks, Bivouac in the Newmarket Handicap and Barney Roy in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan.
Meanwhile, Exhilarates will be running in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
Godolphin also have a strong hand in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Spring Cup at the Tokyo Racecourse.
Tower Of London, saddled by Kazuo Fujisawa and Dover, trained by Keizo ito, are their runners in the 13-horse field. Tower Of London, the son of Raven’s Pass, will be looking to defend his crown after having won the seven-furlong affair last year.
“Tower Of London has been training well and will be reunited with Christophe Lemaire, who has ridden him in six of his previous career victories. We are expecting a big race from Tower Of London,” Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, said.