Bin Surour seeks Royal spotlight
Featured Queen Anne Stakes at mercy of Emirati trainer’s Dubai Turf hero Benbatl
By his owned standards, Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour has endured a relatively quiet start to the British season this far.
But all that is set to change when he travels to Royal Ascot, the most-anticipated five days on the flat, which takes place later this month.
Bin Surour, a four-time champion trainer at the meeting, looks to have some powerful ammunition aimed at the opening day’s action, which kicks off with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on June 19.
The long-serving Godolphin handler is the most-successful trainer in the show-opener with seven wins since Charnwood Forest won the featured mile in 1996. He sends out recent Dubai Turf (Group 1) sensation, Benbatl, who can cement his place as one of Europe’s leading milers by winning the £685,000 (Dh3.377 million) contest.
The four-year-old colt by Dubawi will be looking for a third career victory from seven career starts, which included a win in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at the Royal meeting in June last season.
Benbatl was also fifth a creditable fifth behind Enable in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the same course.
Following Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby success in the Epsom Derby with Masar earlier this month, a lot of attention will be focused on the Dubaiowned stable, who have a good record at the Royal meeting, and were joint champions with Ireland’s Coolmore last year.
Main threat
Bin Surour is known to be a quiet performer and is as resilient as they come. Needless to say he will have his Royal Ascot team in top order.
The main threat to Benbatl could come from Irishtrained Rhododendron, who held off Lightning Spear to claim a big victory in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 19.
The glittering opening day’s card at Royal Ascot also feature the Coventry Stakes (Group 2) over six furlongs, the fivefurlong King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) and the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) over a mile.