Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will make his belated return to action in Friday’s G2 Joel S. at Newmarket. The 6-year-old won a pair of Group 2s at Meydan over the winter but hasn’t been seen since finishing third in the Saudi Cup. He was scratched from the G2 Celebration Mile on Aug. 29 after the ground went soft.
“He’ll go for the Joel, he’s working well and he’s in good form. We’ve been waiting for a while to run him,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “We wanted to go to Goodwood and then there was a race at Haydock, but the ground was heavy. Instead we’ll go to Newmarket for the race he won last year–he won it well. We’re looking forward to it and looking to see a good performance from him. The timing is also right for Champions Day, but he will only go there if the ground is suitable. We took him last year when it was soft and he didn’t like it. He’s got the option over a mile [the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S.] and 10 furlongs (the G1 Champion S.). We’ll wait and see, we just need to get him started.”
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