Latest news with #SaeedBinSuroor
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
The Heart of Godolphin: Saeed bin Suroor's 40th Royal Ascot win a victory for modesty
At the regal theatre of Royal Ascot, reputations are forged with every thundering stride. Some stories echo across generations - others fade in the silence of the turf. But not this particular story. For nearly four decades, Saeed bin Suroor has been highly regarded as a master horseman and trainer known for being gracious in triumph. That familiar glint returned to his eyes on Thursday as Arabian Story thundered home in the Britannia Stakes, handing Saeed his landmark 40th Royal Ascot winner. It was a full-circle moment, almost thirty years since his first Royal Ascot triumph with So Factual in 1995. This was a milestone carved not numerically but by sheer character. Saeed's string may have shrunk from a mighty 250 to just 30 horses today yet when he talks about his horses there's a spark. 'We try to do the best with what we have,' says a vintage Saeed, with just faith. Arabian Story and jockey Oisin Murphy helped answer that faith with a barnstorming prompting Saeed to declare that the 29-year-old three-time British champion was 'the best jockey in the world.' Murphy, who has enjoyed a profitable association with Saeed was also generous in praise for Saeed, the oldest serving handler with Godolphin, the globe-trotting racing stable created by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. 'I'm over the moon to give Saeed his 40th Royal Ascot winner,' Murphy said. 'He's an incredible trainer. Very respectful. Very patient. That's what sets him apart.' When asked about his favourite Royal Ascot winner Saeed ducks the question. 'They're all special,' he says, before finally giving in: Dubai Millennium, the once-in-a-lifetime colt who dazzled in the Prince of Wales's Stakes before siring Dubawi, perhaps the greatest stallion of our time. March 25, 2000, remains one of the most iconic moments in Saeed's career as Dubai Millennium emerged as an imperious and record-setting winner of the Dubai World Cup solidifying his legendary status in global racing. And what a dream Saeed has carried: Four champion trainer at Royal Ascot, four British trainer championships, 13 Classic wins, nine Dubai World Cups, over 500 Group wins across the globe, and now 40 Royal Ascot victories - achievements that belong to the history books. Over three decades, Saeed's Royal Ascot legacy has been furnished by a string of unforgettable champions in the Godolphin blue — from the imperious Dubai Millennium in 2000 to dual Gold Cup hero Kayf Tara, the globe-trotting Fantastic Light (2001), classy miler Shamardal (2005), the versatile Benbatl (2017), and the ever-game Real World (2021). Each of them has helped cement his place as one of the most successful and respected trainers in the history of the Royal Meeting. And on Thursday, as he watched Arabian Story canter back to rapturous applause at the Royal Ascot winner's enclosure Saeed said with quiet satisfaction: 'It's nice to be back.'
Khaleej Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dazzling Godolphin double as Trawlerman shatters course record
On a sun-splashed Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot, Dubai's unstoppable Godolphin stable reigned supreme with a thrilling double crowned by a record-breaking Gold Cup (G1) triumph from Trawlerman and a landmark victory for Saeed bin Suroor in the Britannia Stakes. The highlight came in the day's showpiece race when Trawlerman, last year's gallant runner-up, bounced back to claim British racing's most prestigious and biggest staying prize, at the historic meeting clocking a new track record time of 4m 15.02s. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the seven-year-old gelded son of 2015 Epsom Derby hero Golden Horn, broke the previous Gold Cup best set by Rite Of Passage in 2010 by nearly two seconds. Ridden with supreme confidence by William Buick, Trawlerman made all the running, dictating a perfect pace and never looking back. When Illinois, the Aidan O'Brien-trained second favourite loomed into contention, Buick shook the reins and the response was electric. Trawlerman, a seven-year-old gelding by 2015 Epsom Derby hero Golden Horn, powered clear to win by seven commanding lengths, with Bin Suroor's Dubai Gold Cup (G1) winner Dubai Future finishing third, also in the royal blue silks of Godolphin, the stable created by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in 1993. 'I was just a passenger,' said a jubilant Buick, celebrating his first Gold Cup success and second winner of the week after Ombudsman on Wednesday 'He's got an extraordinary engine and the heart of a lion. "I didn't have to touch the brakes once, he was in a nice rhythm and he was relaxed; he went on autopilot, he knows his speed and he stays well so I was just a passenger,' Buick added as he celebrated his first Gold Cup and a second winner of the week.'He's a great horse.' It marked Godolphin's first Gold Cup since Papineau in 2004 and added to a legacy that includes staying greats Kayf Tara (2000) and Classic Cliché (1998). It was also a fifth Gold Cup for John Gosden, reinforcing his reputation as a master of stayers. 'He just does it all with rhythm and heart,' said Gosden Sr. "I didn't enjoy it [the final furlong] because anything can happen, you never know until they cross the line. 'It's absolutely amazing. He's the most grand, lovely horse, he really is.' In a sport where endurance is king, Trawlerman cemented his place among flat racing's elite stayers with a master class in front-running tactics to win the storied Gold Cup underscoring a remarkable consistency at the top level. Buick, claiming his first Gold Cup win, set the pace from the outset, dictating fractions with precision and never allowing his rivals a chance to close the gap. It was a performance that was a textbook exhibition of one of the most demanding trips in flat racing. The Ascot Gold Cup, inaugurated in 1807, stands as the ultimate test of stamina in flat racing and is a race steeped in tradition and prestige. Over more than two centuries, it has crowned some of the sport's most iconic stayers who have left a lasting imprint on racing history. At the pinnacle of this elite group is Yeats, trained by Aidan O'Brien and more recently, Stradivarius captured the public imagination with his thrilling hat-trick of wins from 2018 to 2020 under Frankie Dettori. The turn of the millennium saw Kayf Tara dominate for Godolphin, while Classic Cliché and Royal Rebel added to the stab;e's rich legacy. Earlier in the afternoon, Arabian Story exploded through the field in the Britannia Stakes to hand legendary trainer Saeed bin Suroor his 40th Royal Ascot winner - a milestone moment for Godolphin's most decorated trainer from Dubai. The colt, ridden to perfection by jockey Kevin Stott, delivered a flying finish down the stand side rails, denying his rivals in the shadow of the post. 'Royal Ascot has always been special to me,' said bin Suroor. 'To win 40 races here for Godolphin is an honour, and Arabian Story is one for the future. 'He's improving with every run and now we'll look to step him up to Group race company. I think he's earned that and deserves to take his chance in higher company.'
