3 minute read
It's Super Saturday in Dubai and Godolphin our out to flex their muscles ahead of World Cup night with a big team that includes a five-strong attack on the Group 1 Jebel Hatta.
Four of the Godolphin five in the Jebel Hatta are last start winners with the other being Leshlaa who ran second to Folkswood in a Godolphin 1-2 in the Group 3 Dubai Millenium.
Folkswood ran second in this race last year, and has proven himself very reliable, so that looks good form, but they may be racing for second with Benbatl a stand out on recent performances.
Benbatl showed himself a top talent in the UK last season, placing in the Craven and the Dante before measuring up and finishing fifth in the Derby.
He then landed the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at Ascot, running slick overall time in a competitive race, and establishing himself at a high enough level to earn a place in the King George where an SP of 14-1 suggests he was hardly out of place.
He was solid there but the soft ground was probably against and heavy going at his final start for the year clearly didn't suit.
He hasn't had to contend with soft ground in 2018 where two starts in Dubai have come on good ground and Benbatl has thrived, running a very slick 1 minute 47 flat first up before exploding off a steadier tempo last time to drill his rivals in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya. The dominant margins even more meritorious given the tempo.
The time he ran first up has only ever been bettered by 2014 Dubai Turf winner Just A Way who was widely considered the best horse on the planet on the strength of that win.
It's unlikely that Benbatl will be considered the best horse on the planet any time soon but he looks a Group 1 winner in waiting and in all likelihood he won't have to wait any later than this Saturday.
The other key feature on the turf this Saturday is the Group 2 City Of Gold Stakes - the key local lead-up to the Sheema Classic on World Cup night.
It looks like being very vulnerable to the hit-and-run raiders heading in from the east and west come the big dance with Hawkbill the best horse on exposed form.
Hawkbill won twice in as many starts outside of Group 1 level in 2017 and that probably says a lot about where he is at. He can win here but lacks the extra gear required against the top-liners.
First time out he may be for the taking on Saturday night as well, and short odds certainly won't appeal.
Best Solution has the fitness edge against him, having already run twice at the Carnival, and both runs have been very good, winning the most recent. He looks sure to run well again in a race that he is likely to be aiming right up for.
French galloper Called To The Bar is another interesting runner who could spin around at backable odds. He has plenty of upside having won his maiden just three starts back. He quickly followed that up by beating the talented Ice Breeze who went on to have a top season and he ran a really good race over in America in the Belmont Invitational.
He has been off the scene since then and could well have come on leaps and bounds since. His placement here indicates the at the yard are certainly keen to try him out against the best.
