It seems quite extraordinary that despite the international success achieved by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation they have yet to win an Epsom Derby and have, in all honesty, never looked likely to do so since 2005, writes Elliot Slater.
The ruler of the Kingdom of Dubai has invested an extraordinary amount of money in bloodstock, stud farms and training facilities around the world, and although there have been some tremendous victories across the globe, the mile-and-a-half Epsom Derby is proving stubbornly beyond the grasp of Sheikh Mohammed and his principal trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
When Best of The Bests ran fourth to Sinndarr in the 2000 renewal it seemed it was only a matter of time before the Godolphin blue would be carried to a success in the colts classic. Subsequent fine efforts from Tobougg (3rd in 2001), Moon Ballad (3rd in 2002), and Rule of Law’s late surge that carried him into the runners-up spot behind North Light in 2004 bode well, as did Dubawi’s third place in 2005 behind Motivator.
However, since then things have gone rapidly downhill and last year’s effort from Kite Wood underlines this. Although the horse’s SP of 28-1 shows he wasn’t well fancied by horse race betting experts, the run he put in to finish ninth was nothing short of woeful and was further evidence of the weakness of the Dubaian team when it comes to The Derby.
In 2010, Al Zir could be the one to bid to turn around the fortunes of Sheikh Mohammed’s team. After showing fine form as a juvenile, hopes must surely be high that he can at least give St Nicholas Abbey, hot favourite in the Epsom Derby betting, a run for his money. At present Al Zir is not entered in the race but, like stable companion and French Group1 juvenile winner Passion For Gold, he can always be supplemented should connections believe the horse has a chance.
After the amazing domination of the middle-distance scene by Ballydoyle in recent years, maybe the time has now come for Godolphin to hit back with a big winner of their own.
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