Abundance of Dubai hopefuls at Goodwood

Muthmir and Jungle Cat among the runners with high hopes resting on them

by Paul Hanagan. Among his rivals is Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby-trained Jungle Cat who drops down in distance and class as he bids to give his stable a first success in a race that was introduced in 1911 to mark the previous year’s succession of King George V to the British throne.

Appleby is hoping that conditions will suit Jungle Cat who is looking for a first win since landing a handicap at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

“He ran a creditable race in the July Cup (over six furlongs) at Newmarket when up on the pace,” the trainer said.

Four-furlong contest

“Coming back in trip to five furlongs will be in his favour, as will the drop in class to G2 level,” he added.

Jungle Cat finished 15th to Limato in the July Cup but prior to that, he had finished fourth to Profitable in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Godolphin are banking on

Today: 5.00pm:

Glorious Stakes (Group 3, 4yo+ 1m 4f) Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3, 3yo 1m) Betfred Mile (3yo+ 1m) Qatar King George Stakes (Group 2, 3yo+ 5f)

5.35pm:

6.10pm: 6.45pm:

the Saeed Bin Surour-trained Elite Army to capture a second £100,000 Group 3 Glorious Stakes after Mamool won the mile and four-furlong contest back in 2005.

Elite Army finished a very good second to Kinema in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, but then came home sixth of seven runners in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket. Bin Surour has enjoyed a fair amount of success at Goodwood in the past and said: “He is a nice horse but I was disappointed with him in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes last time. We expected something better than that.

“We checked the horse after the race and he is back working well and is doing good at home. Hopefully he will be nice and relaxed to give himself every chance. He seems to be back in the right place and we are fairly confident.” The Roger Variantrained Mount Logan, who races in the Epsom Derby-winning colours of Shaikh Mohammad Obaid Al Maktoum, is three from three at Goodwood and fourth in the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot last month.

The Newmarket trainer told www.varianstable.com: “The Glorious meeting has always been the plan with Mount Logan following his fine run at Royal Ascot and I have been pleased with him at home since.

“Twelve furlongs on fast ground appear to be his optimum conditions and while this is a competitive affair, the unfortunate defection of Scottish leaves Mount Logan joint-highest-rated on official figures.

“I hope he can go very close.”