Benbatl (GB) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Benbatl Retired to Big Red Farm in Japan

Godolphin homebred Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Nahrain {GB}, by Selkirk), a multiple Group 1 winner in Dubai, Germany and Australia, has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duties at Big Red Farm in Japan. A fee for the 7-year-old, who is Dubawi's top earning, will be announced later.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said, “Benbatl was a great horse for Godolphin, winning many important races throughout the world including Group 1 contests in Dubai, Germany and Australia.

“He was the ultimate professional in everything he did, which made him an easy horse to train. Everyone at Godolphin Stables will miss him–but he has a very good pedigree, and we are looking forward to seeing how he performs in his new career.”

A winner on debut at Doncaster for trainer Saeed bin Suroor as a 3-year-old, the bay won the G3 Hampton Court S. that year and was placed twice at group level from seven starts. At four, he won the G3 Singspiel S. first up at Meydan, then added the G2 Al Rashidiya there, ran second in the G1 Jebel Hatta and swooped to victory in the G1 Dubai Turf in March of 2018, his first top-level win. In July, he captured the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Munich two starts later and eked out a nose victory in the Caulfield S. Down Under. His final start of the campaign was arguably his best effort-running second to the might Australian mare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Cox Plate that October.

Given 11 months on the sidelines, Benbatl returned in September of 2019 to win his first G2 Joel S. in England–he would run third in 2020. At six, he added the G2 Singspiel S. and the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 in January and early February, respectively, before completing the trifecta in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup in Riyadh. Lightly raced at seven, Benbatl was a narrow second in the G2 Celebration Mile S. before winning his second Joel S. in his penultimate start. He retires with a mark of 25-11-4-3 and $7,853,165 in earnings.

A full-brother to the stakes-placed Fooraat (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Benbatl is a son of G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Nahrain, who also won the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. and was runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. His fourth dam, La Mer (NZ) (Copenhagen II {GB}), was a New Zealand Horse of the Year.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Benbatl would be standing at Darley Japan. We regret the error.

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Benbatl Likely For Champions Day

Globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is fresh off a record-breaking G2 Joel S. victory at Newmarket, has been confirmed for QIPCO Champions Day on Oct. 16, as long as the ground is not too heavy. The Godolphin colourbearer, who has earned top-drawer victories in Dubai, Germany and Australia, was winning his second Joel S. His first start of the season was a second in the G2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood in August after almost a year away from the racecourse. Benbatl holds entries in both the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. over a mile and the 1 1/4-mile G1 Champion S.

“He is in very good form–he has come out of the race very fresh and happy,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor of the two-time Joel S. winner. “The plan now is to run him in the QEII, as long as the ground suits him–he doesn't like soft ground. He is entered in the Champion S. on Champions Day as well, so we will see.”

The 7-year-old's future plans after Champions Day are up in the air.

“He will have one more race this year and we will see how he runs before we decide about next year,” bin Suroor added.

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Another Joel For Benbatl As Newmarket’s Track Record Falls

Confirming his love for Newmarket's Rowley Mile once again on Friday, one of the oldest TDN Rising Stars around Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) showed up in uncompromising mood to break Kameko's track record over the 2000 Guineas track and trip when repeating his 2019 success in the G2 Joel S. Third behind that Classic hero in this 12 months ago, Saeed bin Suroor's veteran warrior had been a short-head second to Lavender's Blue (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Goodwood's G2 Celebration Mile having blown the start on his only subsequent outing Aug. 28. Sharper for that comeback, the 13-8 second favourite tracked the forcefully-ridden Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) from the outset and eventually had his measure a furlong from home. As the 11-8 market-leader Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a second challenge up the stand's rail having had to switch around the front pair two out, Benbatl and Oisin Murphy were already beyond recall. At the line, the 7-year-old held a 3/4-of-a-length verdict over Pogo, with Master of the Seas half a length behind in third on his first start since being edged out in the Guineas in May. “He's been a machine for a number of years,” Murphy said. “He gave me my first ever Royal Ascot winner. We're in 2021 now and he's still winning group twos. He is the horse of a lifetime.”

Remarkably, Benbatl has only raced on this home strip on three occasions, winning this twice and finishing third in the 2017 G3 Craven S. Successful in Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court S. that season, he has since won eight group races including the G1 Dubai Turf, G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis and G1 Ladbrokes S. in 2018 as well as finishing two-lengths runner-up to Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Cox Plate that same year. That defeat, as well as the aforementioned Dubai Turf success stand out among his exploits, as does his five-length success in this two years ago which was enough to place him in the upper echelons of that year's class. “When he won this race in 2019 he ran to a rating of 125,” his rider added. “He's one of the best horses I've ridden and I'm thrilled that we've got him back on track. They've done a super job at the stable to produce him year in, year out.”

Saeed bin Suroor is pondering options now. “He is the horse that is leading the stable,” he said. “We follow him really! We have had a lot of fun with him. We'll keep the options open for him. It could be Champions Day, but we'll talk to Sheikh Mohammed and make a plan for him. It could be the Breeders' Cup, we'll see. It depends on the ground at Ascot, as he doesn't like it soft.”

Benbatl was the first foal out of Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk), who captured the GI Flower Bowl Invitational and G1 Prix de l'Opera and was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. She has since produced the useful filly Fooraat (Ire) also by Dubawi, who was second in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies S. and third in the Listed Rosemary S. on this card. Nahrain is out of Bahr (GB) (Generous {Ire}), who took the G2 Ribblesdale S. and G3 Musidora S. and was placed in the G1 Epsom and Irish Oaks and the Flower Bowl.

Bahr is also responsible for the dual listed winner Baharah (Elusive Quality) and the dam of this year's G2 Railway S. winner and G1 Phoenix S. third Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), who lines up in Saturday's G1 Middle Park S. with live claims. From the family of last year's G3 Palace House S. winner Far above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), Nahrain's 2-year-old filly is a full-sister to Benbatl and Fooraat, while she also has a yearling colt by Muhaarar (GB) and a filly foal by Kingman (GB).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
UNIBET “YOU'RE ON” JOEL S.-G2, £115,000, Newmarket, 9-24, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:34.56, g/f.
1–BENBATL (GB), 130, h, 7, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Nahrain (GB) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 9 1/2-11f, G1SW-Fr, GISW-US, SW-Eng, GSP-Ire, $1,041,961), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Bahr (GB), by Generous (Ire)
3rd Dam: Lady of the Sea, by Mill Reef
O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Oisin Murphy. £65,217. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 7-9 1/2f, 2x Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. Older Horse-UAE at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 9 1/2-11f, G1SW-UAE, Aus & Ger, 24-11-4-3, $7,853,165. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pogo (Ire), 130, h, 5, Zebedee (GB)–Cute (GB), by Diktat (GB). (€10,500 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; £32,000 Ylg '17 GOUKPR). O-Gary and Linnet Woodward; B-Thomas Foy (IRE); T-Charles Hills. £24,725.
3–Master of the Seas (Ire), 126, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Firth of Lorne (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £12,374.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 1. Odds: 1.63, 14.00, 1.38.
Also Ran: Laneqash (GB), Perotto (GB), Accidental Agent (GB), Queen Supreme (Ire). Scratched: Sir Busker (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Benbatl Returns

Now a 7-year-old, Godolphin's Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) still has relatively few miles on the clock as he launches his 2021 campaign in Saturday's G2 tote Celebration Mile at Goodwood. With nine pattern-race victories on his portfolio including the 2018 G1 Dubai Turf, G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis and G1 Ladbrokes S., he has been in the wilderness since finishing third defending his title in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket in September. “Benbatl had a nice break earlier in the season and we decided not to take him out to Dubai because he had a hard season last year,” Saeed bin Suroor explained. “This looks a good race for him over a trip that suits. He has been going well at home and is ready to get his campaign started, although we expect him to come on for his first run in almost a year.” Regular partner Oisin Murphy is reunited with the veteran and added, “I love the horse and he seems in really good shape. He's very healthy and very generous in his gallops. I know he's been off for a while and you'd expect him to improve for the run, but he's a superstar and at his best he'll take a lot of beating. I can't tell you how much I adore the horse. He was my first Royal Ascot winner, I rode him in the Derby when he didn't stay but some of his figures throughout his career have been outstanding.”

Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) goes back up in class having finished seventh in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket May 1 and 16th on testing ground that hampered him in Royal Ascot's G3 Jersey S. June 19. Either side of those efforts are two good-ground conditions wins by a cumulative margin of 10 lengths over seven furlongs at Newmarket Apr. 13 and Haydock July 16 and this should fill in more of the gaps for this unknown quantity. Fellow 3-year-old colt Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has yet to recapture the momentum of his G2 Champagne S. win in September, but his four starts this term show that he is at least a solid performer at a certain level. Michael Pescod's bay stuck with Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and co when fifth in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Aug. 15 and trainer Richard Hannon is hoping he can get back on track here. “He's been running okay. He's looked just slightly below that very top level, he's finished fifth in three group 1s in a row but he's run with huge credit, the last race particularly,” he said. “Maybe he didn't stay that last half-furlong. An easy mile should be right up his street, there's no Poetic Flare, there's no Palace Pier. He's been running in the very top mile races and this is a good chance for him.”

Goodwood's action also includes the seven-furlong G3 tote Prestige S. for juvenile fillies, with Godolphin's John and Thady Gosden-trained Tinderbox (GB) (Farhh {GB}) taking aim at the race Nannina (GB) (Medicean {GB}) captured in 2005. Her 2 1/2-length defeat of Friday's winner and TDN Rising Star Silk Romance (Ire) (Shamardal) over this trip at Kempton Aug. 11 entitles her to respect taking on proven group performers. They include Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Aug. 3 G3 Prix Six Perfections third Daneh (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) from the Simon and Ed Crisford stable and the daughter of Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) could have plenty more to come.

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