Be Ready may have run a race too bad to be true in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday, but Godolphin can be satisfied by two new hopes for the English Derby that emerged at the British track.
Be Ready, under Silvestre De Sousa, trailed in last behind Toormore in the Group 3 contest over seven furlongs and ran as if something were amiss. But earlier on the card, Basem made his case for Epsom in June with a victory in the Wood Ditton Stakes for Saeed bin Suroor.
Fellow Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby followed up that victory by saddling Sudden Wonder to win the Tattersalls Millions Trophy as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, looked on.
Basem seems the more likely to make an impression in the Derby than Sudden Wonder, since he has more scope for improvement, having made his debut yesterday, and Bin Suroor will look for an easy prep race to give his charge further confidence.
“There was nothing wrong with him last year, but he was just a bit weak and I didn’t want to rush him,” Bin Suroor said.
“I am sure he will improve for this race, and until his next start, we won’t know whether he is a Derby horse or not.”
Bin Suroor will go back to the drawing board with Be Ready, who was 28 lengths adrift of the fifth-placed Anjaal.
As De Sousa nursed home his mount, at the other end of proceedings, Ryan Moore kept Toormore interested enough to win by two lengths from the determined Grey Gatsby.
“He’s not a flashy horse and he was never going to come here and win by six lengths, even if he could,” winning trainer Richard Hannon said. “He is going to give the owners a lot of pleasure, has come here and won his trial and goes to the Guineas with a very good chance.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE