Dubai: The Godolphin Mile is the first thoroughbred race of the evening and this Group 2 contest is really rather accurately named as Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Surour has trained nine of the 20 winners so far. This year’s renewal has attracted a truly international field and it looks a good one.
Bin Surour and Godolphin rely on their lone entry Shuruq and she is very good. She is certainly a different horse on the all-weather surface she will encounter here, in fact, so much so it is the plan to campaign her in the USA this summer. On this surface she is the Queen and her two runs on the Tapeta this season have both resulted in wins including most recently the Burj Nahaar on Super Saturday. She will certainly be one of those for the short list and Godolphin will hope it to be win No. 10 for her trainer.
Last year Mike De Kock won his second Godolphin Mile and the legendary South African master trainer will hope to make it three with Soft Falling Rain, who returns to defend his title. From a peach of a draw in Gate 5 it looks like she will certainly have the opportunity to dominate again.
Another horse that likes to be at the head of affairs is Variety Club and lets hope that the draw in stall 15 has not beaten him. It is hard to win from there on this track, but certainly not impossible. He is an amazing performer with lots of Group 1 winning form in the book and is sure to provide a real threat.
Mick Halford trains in Ireland and with his excitable, but stylish jockey Shane Foley they have tasted some real success at this Dubai World Cup Carnival and Eastern Rules with two wins has blazed their trail. Ignore his last race where he was easily despatched by Shuruq and this two-time Meydan Carnival winner could be one to spring a surprise.
Jane Chapple-Hyam has brought over Mull of Killough and if this globetrotter is in the mood he certainly could go very close. His most recent run at Flemmington was in the Emirates Stakes where he was a narrowly beaten fourth and that form could see him run in to a place.
Brightline represents Japan and he might need to improve a bit to make the frame, but he is certainly an exciting prospect. His countryman will be sad with the draw, but he has plenty of talent and is a dark horse in this competitive heat.
One other for the shortlist is Elleval and if you work by the old adage horses for courses he will certainly prosper. Runner-up in the UAE Derby in 2013 and with a win under his belt and good form already this season David Marnane’s four-year-old could spring a shock.
When you analyse a race like this you always want to see the big stars come to the fore and I feel this will be the case with Soft Falling Rain and Variety Club both being towards the head of affairs and they just may well set it up for Shuruq to win it again for Godolphin in a race they love to win.
— The author is a racing journalist, broadcaster and GM of Draiton Feed Commodities
