Godolphin and Hamdan eye Racing Post Trophy

Dubai: Ten years after Saeed Bin Surour’s Ibn Khaldun won the Racing Post Trophy, the final Group 1 race of the British flat racing season, Godolphin on Saturday seek victory in a race of great importance and with the hope of unearthing a potential Classic contender for next season.

Five winners of the mile contest run at Doncaster Racecourse have subsequently achieved victory in the following year’s English Derby (Group 1), the first of which was Reference Point in 1986-87 and the most recent being Camelot, who completed the double in 2012.

Charlie Appleby, who has enjoyed a fine season with his juvenile string, saddles Loxley, a smart son of Dalham Hall Stud stallion, New Approach.

Loxely dead-heated with Istanbul Sultan on his debut at Goodwood two weeks ago, in a race where he did not enjoy the best of passages but was travelling strongly approaching the line.

Appleby said: “I was pleased with his work on Wednesday. I know it is a step up for him, but we feel he won’t look out of place and hopefully he can run into a place.

“He came out of Goodwood so well and looking at him as an individual he looks so well and his work has been good since, it is just trying to get a level on him for next season.”

Another horse with a Dubai connection who will be hoping to turn back the clock for his owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, a winner of the Racing Post Trophy in 1988 with Al Hareb.

Shaikh Hamdan is represented in Saturday’s contest by the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Gabr, who won his maiden at Yarmouth in September, comfortably having the measure of the William Haggas-trained Istanbul Sultan.

Jim Crowley, Shaikh Hamdan’s retained rider, who will be in the saddle again commented: “I rode him (at) work last week and he went really well.

“He’s getting better with experience, the horse he beat (Istanbul Sultan) came out and won at Goodwood, so he’s going the right way.

“I thought he worked super, but it’s a different ball game going into a Group One.”

Stoute has won the race just once with Dilshaan in 2000.

Saturday’s renewal could witness racing history being made should Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien be successful with any one of his four intended runners.

Should he win the contest he will eclipse legendary American handler Bobby Frankel’s long-standing record of 25 Group 1 or Grade 1 wins in a calendar year.

Interestingly O’Brien has not lifted the trophy the past four years having previously triumphed on seven occasions.

His quartet is headed by Saxon Warrior who is unbeaten in two starts and is the selection of his stable jockey Ryan Moore.

O’Brien also sends out Seahenge, a son of Scat Daddy, who was third in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) behind stable companions US Army Flag and Mendelssohn.