Saeed bin Suroor | Horse Racing Free Tips

Soft Whisper Leads Godolphin Trifecta in 1000 Guineas Trial

4th-Meydan, Cond., AED183,650, NH/SH 3yo, f, 1400m, 1:26.72, ft.
SOFT WHISPER (IRE) (f, 3, Dubawi {Ire}–Placidia {Ire}, by Sea the Stars {Ire}) gave trainer Saeed bin Suroor the trifecta in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Presented by Longines, as stablemates Last Sunset (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Final Thought (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) followed her across the wire at Meydan on Thursday. The conditions race is a pointer for the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas on Jan. 28. However, the daughter of Placidia’s task was made easier with the withdrawal of Doug Watson trainee Super Chianti (Super Saver), a winner of her only start locally on Nov. 19. All of Watson’s Thursday runners were scratched due to COVID-19 positives among his grooms the morning of Jan. 7, and the outfit is under quarantine.

One of an five of Godolphin runners in the trial, Soft Whisper missed the kick, but quickly caught up the field, before charging up to sit fifth with rivals to either side for the backstretch run. She surged up on the bend–with Last Sunset to her outside–to tackle the leader Jumeirah Beach (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in earnest, before taking command 300 metres from the line. Given a couple of reminders, she maintained her position all the way home, winning by 2 ½ lengths. Final Thought was 3 1/4 lengths behind Last Sunset in third.

Jockey Pat Cosgrave said, “I rode her in her first race at Salisbury and managed to get her beat. I ended up phoning Saeed to apologise as we thought she would win. She took a bit of time to get her act together, but has improved from each race and that was a good prep. The 1600m will suit her better and she will have learned plenty having had some dirt kicked at her.

“I could not pull her up which bodes well not only for the UAE 1000 Guineas but hopefully the UAE Oaks as well. That was a good effort.”

The third foal and first winner for her two-time winning dam Placidia (Ire), Soft Whisper is followed by a juvenile filly by Shamardal. Placidia is a half-sister to French highweight and later sire Policy Maker (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), GSW and G1 Prix du Cadran runner-up Pushkin (Ire) (Caerleon), GSW Place Rouge (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}) and to the dam of G1 Prix Ganay hero Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). This is also the same family of Classic-winning Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {Ire}), the hero of three Group 1 races, and Arc hero Peintre Celebre (Nureyev), European Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 1997 among others. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, $45,779. Click for the Racing Post chart or the VIDEO.

O/B-Godolphin (Ire). T-Saeed bin Suroor.

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Dubawi Filly Soft Whisper Screams Promise In UAE 1000 Guineas Trial

The UAE 1000 Guineas Trial is usually a first look at stakes-level sophomore fillies in Dubai and has often been an unveiling of possible future stars. Such was the case once again on Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse when Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor-trained Soft Whisper let the secret out with a 2 1/2-length win in the seven-furlong conditions affair.

Stalking comfortably in mid-pack throughout the first three furlongs, the daughter of Dubawi from the family of European Horse of the Year Peintre Celebre tipped out under confident Pat Cosgrave handling, gobbled up ground on front-running Jumeirah Beach and then put away that foe, while holding off a pair of stablemates who filled out the trifecta, Last Sunset and Final Thought. Satish Seemar-trained first-time starter Al Maroom ran on respectably for fourth.

Expected favorite Super Chianti was scratched earlier in the day, but will likely line up against the winner in the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed) in three weeks or the UAE Oaks (G3) thereafter.

The final time was 1:26.72, and the victory improved her record to three wins and two seconds from five starts.

“She just took a little time to sort of get her act together,” Cosgrave said. “She's improved race by race. I really thought she'd win today. I didn't think so after 50 yards for a stride or two–things weren't going to plan–but those good horses usually get out of trouble. I was trying to find the right horse to take me into the race and luckily enough it worked out nicely.

“The good thing about her is she got a little bit of sand in her face and she faced it,” Cosgrave continued. “She had to work hard, which isn't always ideal. She'll improve plenty. I think going a mile she'll be better. She's a nice filly. It took me until the 800m to pull her up. She's by Dubawi and they get better with racing and she's a nice, big, scopey filly.”

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Benbatl Out of British Champions Day

Godolphin’s MG1SW Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will not take part in British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday due to the projected soft ground. Favoured in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. in 2019, he ran last in very soft underfoot conditions. The QEII or the G1 Champion S. had been options for the English, German and UAE highweight. A winner of Group 1s in Australia, the UAE and Germany, Benbatl will now point to the Dubai World Cup Carnival. He won the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 in March and followed up with a third in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup. His only run in the UK this term was a third in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket on Sept. 25.

“There was no point running him at Ascot [this weekend]–we ran him last year, and he hated it,” said trainer Saeed Bin Suroor. “We were keen to run, [and] he’d been working well, but we know he doesn’t like soft ground.

“He won’t go to the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll take him back to Dubai, prepare him for races out there for him. We’ve had a bit of a wasted season. Saudi Arabia is [also] one of the options for him, like last year.”

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Joel Date For Benbatl

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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