Street Cry on song for Saratoga challenge

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor was bubbling with enthusiasm after Godolphin's Dubai World Cup hero Street Cry delivered an impressive piece of work in preparation for tomorrow's Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Springs, New York.

The work-out was conducted at his base at Belmont Park, under the supervision of Tom Albertrani, the United States-based assistant to trainer Bin Suroor.

Speaking to Gulf News from Newmarket, England prior to flying out to Saratoga, Bin Suroor said.

"I'm really excited about this horse. He's a real star. He's run two very good races and there's still more improvement in him," he said. "He's one of the best older horses in America and we hope he can prove that on Saturday when he runs in the Whitney."

Street Cry demonstrated he is one of the best when turning a five-furlong work-out into a breeze when he covered the distance in a smart 1:03 minutes. Albertrani said the horse covered the final three furlongs in 36 and three fifth seconds.

"It was basically a routine work for him," Albertrani told the Godolphin website. "That's usually what he does. He's a tricky horse. If you let him go off too fast he'll do too much. I didn't want him to do too much."

Albertrani remarked that Street Cry's final work out before the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap, a race that he won with ease, was even easier. He clocked 1:04 minutes on that occasion.

"That's how he is. He doesn't need much," Albertrani stressed.

Bin Suroor agreed with his assistant.

"We didn't what to push him before a big race. We just wanted to remind him of it," he said. "He's a real professional, but at the same time you have to go through the paces."

Bin Suroor revealed that the Godolphin four-year-old was due to travel from his base at Belmont Park yesterday, even as he made his way to New York from Newmarket.

The son of Machiavellian has had just one race, the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June, since winning the $6 million Dubai World Cup from Sei Mi and his Godolphin stablemate Sakhee.

"He turned in an awesome performance that day," Albertrani said on the web-site.

"He ran well in Dubai, but his last race was by far his best race ever."

The Whitney Handicap over a mile and one eighth has a prize purse of $750,000.

A field of 16 runners were left in after the final nominations stage closed on July 20.

Among them are last year's winner Lido Palace, who is trained by Bob Frankel, Joseph Orseno's Macho Uno Carl Nafzger's Unshaded and the second Godolphin runner E Dubai.