Saeed bin Suroor

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a Godolphin blue-blooded half to a Group 1 winner. 5.20 Doncaster, Mdn, £8,050, 3yo/up, 7f 6yT CHIEF OF STAFF (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) debuts for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor and is a half-brother to the G1 Jebel Hatta winner Blair House (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). Oisin...

Godolphin's royal blue silks were seemingly everywhere at Meydan on Thursday, as the operation swept four of the five Thoroughbred races on the card and both group stakes with Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy and Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. The former was coming in off a win in a Feb. 11 2410-metre handicap score locally and gave his trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori a win on the card. The bay...

Turf races rule the day in Thursday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan. Each of the quintet of races for Thoroughbreds take place on the grass, with the $195,000 G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy Sponsored by Gulf News the crown jewel. Held over 2810 metres, the contest drew 2019 race winner and G3 Deutsches St Leger hero Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who anchors the Godolphin brigade. Charlie Appleby's bay has been seen on the racecourse only sparingly, and he was in action only twice last year with a staying...

There was little in Gifts Of Gold (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})'s recent form to suggest that a win against top marathoners was on the cards, but a surface switch and the addition of cheekpieces as well as a few furlongs proved just the tonic for the Saeed bin Suroor-trained 6-year-old gelding to score an upset victory in the $2.5-million 3000 metre Red Sea Turf H. in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Settling about two lengths off the moderate early tempo set by the defending champ and Group 1-winning stayer Call The...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival continues at Meydan on Thursday, and the seven-race card is loaded with six stakes races-five at group level-a little over two weeks in advance of the Mar. 6 Super Saturday card. The G2 Zabeel Mile has been won the past two years by Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby. Per usual, the royal blue is well represented, and the 110-rated D'Bai (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) leads the foursome. The 2019 G2 Al Fahidi Fort victor was only three-quarters of a length back in second when defending his title...

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor is keeping options open for his Listed UAE 1000 Guineas winner Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with next week's G3 UAE Oaks and Saudi Derby both still on the table. "She is entered in the UAE Oaks and also the Saudi Derby," bin Suroor said. "She's in both races and we will keep options open. She is a good filly and unbeaten in Dubai. She won the Guineas Trial and also the Guineas under Frankie [Dettori]. She won both races really well and has come back...

Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was anything but subtle when delivering a seven-length tour-de-force in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan on Thursday night. Forwardly placed from the bell, the heavy favourite charged straight to the head of affairs and dueled with Heshmah (Kitten's Joy) who passed her leaving the chute. Poised in second, the filly always appeared full of run and reinsman Frankie Dettori was practically motionless as Soft Whisper ranged alongside Heshmah with less than 600 metres remaining. It was only a matter of how far from...

Meydan's G2 Cape Verdi is the highlight on the Dubai Wold Cup Carnival card on Jan. 28. Of the eight fillies and mares signed on to the one-mile feature, a quintet carry the Godolphin blue and the highest rated at 108 is the Group 3 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). A listed winner at Newmarket as a juvenile, the Charlie Appleby charge won the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom on July 4 and was last of six in the G1 Prix Rothschild after making...

Godolphin's Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Group 1 winner in Australia, Germany and Dubai, will not compete in either the Dubai World Cup Carnival or the Saudi Cup. The 7-year-old entire will instead make his next appearance in Europe according to his trainer Saeed bin Suroor. The bay signed off last year with a third in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket on Sept. 25. "Benbatl will not run in Dubai or Saudi Arabia this year--we'll keep him for a European campaign and look to get him out in May,"...

World champion miler and leading French sire Slickly (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}-Slipstream Queen, by Conquistador Cielo) has died aged 25 at Haras du Logis. The grey had been pensioned from stud duties in 2019, having stood at stud at Logis since he retired to stud in 2003. Julian Ince, who has managed Slickly's stud career, said, 'Slickly has been a wonderful horse to have at Logis, and had a very loyal following among French breeders. He was the perfect sire for the French 'primes'--his stock could win as early juveniles and...

Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) provided a throwback result in Thursday's G2 Al Fahidi Fort at Meydan, giving the once-prolific trainer and jockey combination of Saeed bin Suroor and Frankie Dettori-together responsible for so many big-race moments in Dubai--their first wins at the 2021 carnival. Unraced at two, Land Of Legends strung together three wins-a novice race and a pair of handicaps--in the summer of 2019. He managed a pair of seconds in handicap company going a mile on the turf at last year's carnival and had not been...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival gets underway at Meydan on Thursday with its traditional opener, the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 going a mile on the dirt with a well-matched field of 11 lining up. Group 1 winner Capezzano (Bernardini) is the highest-rated of the bunch at 117, but the 7-year-old gelding isn't always straightforward. He beat Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) by 9 1/2 lengths in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 two years ago before trailing him by 32 lengths when last in the G1 Dubai World Cup,...