Prince Bishop, Ihtimal sweep features for bin Suroor

Track record-setter Prince Bishop and African Story ran one-two for Saeed bin Suroor in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Prince Bishop set a course record when capturing a deep renewal of the Group 2, $250,000 Maktoum Challenge Round 2, and Ihtimal outclassed her rivals in the $250,000 U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas, to highlight a banner Thursday evening at Meydan for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. In between the features, the aptly-named Excellent Result furnished the middle leg of the bin Suroor treble. Sporting the colors of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, Prince Bishop scored in his third attempt at the Maktoum Challenge Round 2, a stepping stone to the Group 1 Dubai World Cup on March 29. The Dubawi gelding had finished fifth in 2012, improved to third last year, and again moved forward two spots to claim the prize. Prince Bishop had not been seen since tailing off in the October 26 St Simon on heavy ground at Newbury. Although the synthetic aficionado figured to turn the page back on the Tapeta, he was tackling an exceptionally strong field. His stablemates — defending champion Hunter’s Light and African Story — flew the Godolphin flag, which was also represented by Artigiano from the Charlie Appleby yard. Globetrotting Dunaden, South African star Heavy Metal, Epsom Derby fourth Battle of Marengo, Mike de Kock’s Zahee and 2013 runner-up Surfer added to the depth of the race. Showing his enthusiasm early on, Prince Bishop dragged Kieren Fallon into an outside stalking spot down the backstretch. He was traveling with aplomb, and still very much in hand, when gliding past pacesetter Artigiano and Surfer rounding the far turn. Hunter’s Light tried to go after him, but couldn’t make a dent.

Prince Bishop delivered the coup de grace straightening into the stretch,
opening up an insurmountable lead. African Story closed with a rush to round out
the all-bin Suroor exacta, but too late to threaten the 1 1/4-length winner.
Prince Bishop negotiated about 1 3/16 miles in a Meydan record 1:55.67, and gave
bin Suroor a remarkable 10th trophy in this race.

“I like this horse and I think he has more to offer,” Fallon said. “I really
thought I went for home too soon, and he was getting a bit tired and a bit
lonely, but luckily we hit the line in time.”

South African import Zambucca reported home a further four lengths back in
third, finishing well in just his second outing for Satish Seemar. Hunter’s
Light flattened out to fourth, followed by Zahee, Dunaden, Samurai Sword,
Surfer, Zain Shamardal, Heavy Metal, Empire Storm, Mutajare, Prince Alzain,
Interpret, Artigiano and the disappointing Battle of Marengo, who always lagged
in the rear.

Prince Bishop’s scorecard now reads 22-8-1-3. Initially trained by Andre
Fabre, the chestnut landed the 2010 Prix du Prince d’Orange in his stakes debut
and then edged Cirrus des Aigles in the Prix du Conseil de Paris. Prince Bishop
joined bin Suroor ahead of his 2011 campaign, but didn’t regain the winning
thread until he was gelded. That fall, he promptly romped in course-record time
in the Floodlit over Kempton’s Polytrack.

Sidelined after his seventh-place effort in the 2012 World Cup, Prince Bishop
resurfaced at the 2013 Carnival with thirds in both Round 2 and Round 3 of the
Maktoum Challenge. He tried the grassy Sheema Classic instead of the World Cup,
winding up 10th, and was shelved until the autumn. Prince Bishop returned
victorious at Kempton in the September Stakes over his preferred synthetic, only
to flop on turf next time in the St Simon.

Bred by Thurso Ltd. in Ireland, Prince Bishop was a $172,838 Tattersalls
December weanling. He is out of the Prospect Bay mare North East Bay, who is a
half-sister to multiple stakes winner Blingo (who runs in Saturday’s Grade 2 San
Antonio) and to stakes victress Hold to Ransom (dam of multiple Australian Group
3 scorer Retrieve). Further back, this is the family of champion Teenoso, hero
of the 1983 Derby at Epsom; Group 1 winner Top Guest; and Group 2 victor and
classic-placed Most Welcome.

Ihtimal was a class apart in the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Earlier, Godolphin’s Ihtimal turned the first U.A.E. classic of the season into a one-filly show. The daughter of Shamardal brought the best form in the book — and the lofty regard of bin Suroor — and upheld both in grand style. Confidently handled by Silvestre de Sousa, Ihtimal was reserved off the pace set by Magroora. One of a trio for de Kock, Magroora was tracked by Russian shipper Sign of Lucky, with another de Kock runner, Mensoora, well placed to pounce. When Mensoora played her hand, Ihtimal was already making smooth progress on the outside, and soon put the race away. Ihtimal streaked 3 1/4 lengths clear and finished the metric mile in 1:36 3/5. Mensoora was best of the rest by 1 3/4 lengths from Feedyah. Wedding Ring, winner of the local Guineas trial, checked in fourth. De Kock’s Magrooma, Oxsana, Magroora, More Aspen, Letterfromamerica, Illuminating Dream and Sign of Lucky rounded out the order under the wire.

Ihtimal progressed over her juvenile campaign, and ended 2013 as one of the
top performers in her division in England. Runner-up to Kiyoshi in her premiere
at Goodwood last May, she missed by a neck to Wedding Ring in early June at
Newmarket. Ihtimal tried males in the Chesham at Royal Ascot, finishing a
creditable third to Berkshire and Bunker. She broke her maiden with a 2
3/4-length score in the Sweet Solera back at Newmarket, leaving Wedding Ring
behind in third. Equally convincing in the May Hill at Doncaster, Ihtimal
concluded the season with a third to Chriselliam and Rizeena in the Fillies’
Mile at Newmarket.

“She has a bit of class,” de Sousa said, “and her only defeats have been
behind very good fillies. She was a bit keen early on but I was always happy.

“When I asked her to win her race, she did so in a matter of strides. You
have to be impressed.”

Now boasting a line of 7-3-2-2, Ihtimal looms as a prime contender not only
for the February 27 U.A.E. Oaks, but also for the U.A.E. Derby on World Cup
night. Bin Suroor told

Godolphin.com, however, that she would likely point toward the May 4 One
Thousand Guineas at Newmarket after the U.A.E. Oaks.

Ihtimal was bred by Darley in Ireland. The bay is the first registered foal
from the winning Dubai Destination mare Eastern Joy, who is a half-sister to
2007 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) queen West Wind. Ihtimal’s second dam, Group 2
victress Red Slippers, is in turn a full sister to Group 2 scorer Romanov and a
half-sister to dual classic heroine Balanchine. Multiple Group 1 star Saoirse
Abu, Group 1 winner Art Connoisseur and Japanese Grade 2 victor Shonan Mighty
are also in the family.

Excellent Result shapes up as a promising young stayer (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) One race later, Excellent Result made it a quick double for connections — Godolphin, bin Suroor, de Sousa and sire Shamardal — in the about 1 3/4-mile turf handicap. The four-year-old colt prospered on the step up in trip, and capitalized on a big weight concession, to defeat de Kock’s Star Empire by three-quarters of a length. Excellent Result, who carried 118 pounds to highweight Star Empire’s 132, covered the marathon distance in 2:59 3/5 and advanced his resume to 9-3-0-1. “They went very slowly, which did not really help me as I had to get him settled,” de Sousa said, “but he certainly finished well and I was confident of getting there close home.” Excellent Result’s prior claim to fame was capturing a 1 1/2-mile heritage handicap at Ascot last September. He was coming off a useful fourth in his Meydan debut at about 1 1/2 grassy miles on January 23. He was beaten all of two lengths by Certerach that day, but turned the tables with an even more favorable weight spread in their rematch. Although Certerach was unable to concede his rival 10 pounds here, he ran a terrific race to miss second by only a nose.

There was a sense of deja vu about the $75,000 conditions race billed as the
Meydan Classic Trial. One year after owner Damian Lavelle, trainer David Marnane
and jockey Fergal Lynch won with Elleval, they combined to plunder Thursday’s
renewal with He’s No Saint.

But unlike Elleval, who got up by only a half-length, He’s No Saint was much
more dominant. Bursting through in the stretch, the Irish invader prevailed by a
good-looking two lengths from Make It Reel. The Appleby trio of Figure of
Speech, Pretend and Autumn Lily finished sixth, seventh and eighth,
respectively.

He’s No Saint completed the about seven-furlong prep in 1:24 on turf, and
likely stamped his ticket to the Meydan Classic over this same course and
distance February 27.

“This has been the plan all along, and he was impressive,” Lynch summed up.
“I was really traveling well on him but had to wait for a gap — when it opened
he quickened nicely.”

He’s No Saint impressed in the Meydan Classic Trial (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) In his only previous start on turf, the Dutch Art colt came up a head shy of Aidan O’Brien’s Agena in a Leopardstown maiden. He’s No Saint subsequently broke his maiden over Dundalk’s Polytrack. He threw in the worst race of his young life last time when fifth in the October 11 Star Appeal back at Dundalk, no match for Giovanni Boldini. By proving that run all wrong, He’s No Saint improved his line to 5-2-2-0. The first Thoroughbred race on the card likewise went to Ireland, with the Michael Halford-trained Eastern Rules besting Mustaheel by a neck in a tight finish to the Tapeta handicap. Owned by Simon Hales and piloted by Shane Foley, Eastern Rules covered about seven furlongs in 1:24 and now sports a mark of 17-6-2-1. The gelded son of Golden Snake, a three-time handicap winner in Ireland last term, was wheeling back just a week after his third to Zahee in his Meydan bow. “That was a great run last week,” Foley said, “and all ours have been running well. That was a good effort in an ultra-competitive handicap.” English-based Mont Ras scored in the nightcap for trainer David O’Meara, denying the de Kock duo of El Estruendoso and Disa Leader. Under a ground-saving ride by William Buick, Mont Ras got a seam in the stretch, collared pacesetter Disa Leader, and held El Estruendoso safe by a half-length. Colne Valley Racing’s seven-year-old veteran by Indian Ridge toured the metric mile on turf in 1:36 2/5.

Successful five times in 2013, taking four handicaps and a conditions race at
Kempton on December 19, Mont Ras has been busy this Carnival. He was fourth to
Fulbright on opening night January 9, and ninth to Alexandra Palace January 23,
both on the Tapeta. Reverting to turf set the stage for this breakthrough, and
Mont Ras’ resume reads 25-9-1-3.

“This was his third run here at Meydan, but first on turf, and he has really
appreciated the switch of surface,” Buick noted. “I am delighted for everyone as
there is a great bunch of owners here with the horse.”

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