The Dante meeting at York Racecourse in the north of England is always a rich environment for putting Classic pretensions on trial and Godolphin are using today’s card to establish a pecking order for the future.
The Dubai-based operation run four in the featured Dante Stakes, a race over an extended 2,000 metres that is one of the best indicators towards success in the English Derby.
Saeed bin Suroor saddles Benbatl, a twice-raced son of Dubawi, who was third in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on his last start and is considered the best of the Royal Blue quartet.
Charlie Appleby fields Wolf County, another son of Dubawi who showed he will relish the rain-softened Knavesmire when he won a Listed contest in France 17 days ago.
And then there are the two who have recently been absorbed in to the Godolphin fold.
In February Godolphin bought a share in Swiss Storm, a son of the mighty Frankel, trained by David Elsworth, who could also enjoy the soft conditions. Syphax, who is trained in Yorkshire by Kevin Ryan and who won the Acomb Stakes at the track last season, was bought in March.
Eleven horses have used the Dante Stakes as a nursery for experience before stepping up to win the Derby at Epsom, but that only tells half the story.
In 2002, Moon Ballad won the Dante Stakes for Godolphin before he finished a fine third in the Derby. The following season he was transferred to dirt and won the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba.
Classic Cliche was Godolphin’s first winner of the Dante Stakes in 1995 and he went on to become a stayer nonpareil.
Campaigned with aplomb by Bin Suroor he won the English St Leger later that campaign before the following season he took the Yorkshire Cup and Gold Cup at Ascot.
John Ferguson, the Godolphin chief executive, is looking forward to seeing them all run against John Gosden’s Cracksman, the favourite among the field off 11 runners, but is mindful of what part the race plays in the infant European turf season.
“You can use the Dante to sort out where you go with these horses,” he said. “We need to put the best horses in the best races.”
Godolphin have a third acquisition running on Thursday when Brian The Snail takes his chance in a classy Westow Stakes, a Listed contest over 1,000 metres. Brian The Snail was bought by Godolphin in March as a possible prospect for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next month.
He proved why when he impressed last month in victory at Pontefract racecourse. Brian The Snail is a big, burly horse who needed the race that day and is another who will like the rain.
“Rain helped me to make the decision to declare Brian The Snail,” trainer Richard Fahey said.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to run him over five furlongs on fast ground. The slower ground will help him. We like him a lot. It’s another stepping stone for him.”
Queen’s Trust, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner, heads the undercard when she clashes with top-class South African import Smart Call, who is now her stable companion at Michael Stoute’s Freemason Lodge, in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes.
Godolphin were out of luck in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes on Wednes when Comicas, the Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up, was the first of their trio home in third behind Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Tasleet and Magical Memory.
Winning trainer William Haggas stated afterwards that Tasleet would head for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next.
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JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
How Beautiful this world is!
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
Company%20Profile
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Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
Contracted list
Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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New schools in Dubai
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars