Saeed bin Suroor

News needs to be special if it is going to knock the horses off the top spot, even for a short while, during Breeders' Cup week. The story which was able to do that was the announcement of Frankie Dettori's imminent retirement and his plans for the future. That is understandable because Frankie has been big news throughout his fabulous career. Arriving in Newmarket aged 14 in 1985 to join the stable of his compatriot Luca Cumani, Frankie was already an experienced and race-winning rider in Italy by the time...

Godolphin's Group 1 scorer Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot) will be freshened for the rest of the summer with the G2 Bahrain International Trophy in November penciled in as a long-term target, according to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. A winner at two, the son of Bint Almatar (Kingmambo) ran fourth in the G1 2000 Guineas in May and was sixth to Lambourn (Australia) in the G1 Derby at Epsom in June. Wheeled back in the G3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, the bay was second that day. He was...

Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy teamed up to snag 2018's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen with Godolphin's Benbatl (Dubawi) and repeated the dose in this year's renewal of the Munich feature when G3 Hampton Court Stakes runner-up Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot) made a belated breakthrough in stakes company. "We were uncertain about the [soft] ground, but he loved it and it's fantastic to win a Group 1 on this fellow," commented Oisin Murphy. "He ran very well in the [G1] Derby, he was second at Royal Ascot and...

Despite his string dwindling from an all-time high of 250 horses to having just 30 in training currently, Saeed bin Suroor said he was relishing being back on the biggest stage of all after sending out Arabian Story (Invincible Spirit) to win the Britannia Stakes under Oisin Murphy - a man the trainer labelled as 'different class' following the success. Carrying the Godolphin blue, Arabian Story made his first ever start on turf a memorable one in the prestigious three-year-old handicap just over a fortnight after breaking his duck on...

The Godolphin-owned Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) rolled back the years in more ways than one to win the G2 Dubai Gold Cup and provide Saeed bin Suroor, the most successful trainer in the history of the World Cup fixture, with an opportunity to bask in the limelight after a number of years out in the cold. And there was a touch of brilliance to the training performance with the nine-year-old Dubai Future notoriously tricky to keep sound. But produced at concert pitch by the trainer, the talented veteran ran...

Shadwell's Elwateen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Tawkeel (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) was a warm order for Wednesday's seven-furlong fillies' novice at Kempton and duly delivered on debut as the 4-6 favourite. The first foal out of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine was sharp away before being tucked in behind the leading duo by Kevin Stott. Staying on strongly up the rail to lead inside the final 100 yards, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee surged to a length verdict over Orchid (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}). "She's a nice filly, I've always liked her--for a...

Isle of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) found his best stride entering the final 200 metres and ran out a comfortable winner of Friday's $200,000 Listed King's Cup to secure the 'Triple Crown' for Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa's Victorious Racing and trainer George Scott. Winner of a Bahrain Turf Series race Dec. 8 and second in another three weeks later, Isle of Jura saw his rating rise out of the eligibility range for those valuable handicaps and made his next start in the Listed Crown Prince's Cup Feb....

 The winners of the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Racing Excellence Awards, with Japanese superstar Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) named the Best Horse Award winner, were announced during the Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. The award winners are selected on criteria designated by the Dubai Racing Club (DRC), overseen by the Trustee's Committee. The public selects the People's Choice Award. The full list of winners are as follows: Best Horse: Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) Best Jockey: Ryan Moore Best Trainer: Aidan O'Brien...

Last year's brilliant G1 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) has been retired, Godolphin announced on Wednesday. She will now join the operation's broodmare band having failed to sparkle on what proved to be her final racecourse appearance when finishing last of the nine runners in last month's G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Mawj was a high-class juvenile when her victories included the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. at Newmarket's July Festival. Last season, she won twice in Dubai before gaining the...

Classic winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) will be prepared for a winter campaign in Dubai, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. The 3-year-old filly, who won the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last month, finished second in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile behind Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). "She ran a huge race and we thought she was going to win, but she was beaten by a good horse, also a Godolphin horse, and I'm...

Godolphin's Classic winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) is expected to make her next start in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, according to trainer Saeed bin Suroor on Tuesday. Unbeaten in four starts this season, the sophomore filly most recently came home a half-length winner over Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in Keeneland's Oct. 14 GI QEII Challenge S. "She's a tough filly with a big heart, to do that on her first run for five months and win a Grade I," said Bin Suroor. "She had...

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue. According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course. Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving...