Ratings Update: Godolphin lead the way in Dubai and Doncaster

A hugely successful weekend worldwide for Godolphin included a second win in the last four runnings of the Lincoln (after Secret Brief in 2016) for Charlie Appleby. Short-priced favourite Auxerre (118p from 112p) always looked in control of things in front and has now won his last four starts from just five runs to date. That profile made him stand out beforehand in a field of largely exposed handicappers, and he looks well on his way to pattern company after this, perhaps emulating last year’s Lincoln winner Addeybb who followed up in the bet365 Mile at Sandown. A possible rival for Auxerre at some stage might be Sharja Bridge who ran right up to his existing rating (120) when readily landing the odds in the listed Doncaster Mile from the filly Red Starlight (110 from 107), the latter, incidentally, the only horse to have beaten Auxerre (on his debut) to date.

Auxerre dominates the Unibet Lincoln @DoncasterRaces for James Doyle and Charlie Appleby! pic.twitter.com/GutntbV3lL

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) 30 March 2019

The other listed race on the opening turf card was the Cammidge Trophy which went in authoritative fashion to Invincible Army (120 from 117). He also won first time out last term, in the Group 3 Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, and he should go well with his sights raised again for next month’s Duke of York Stakes.

Kempton’s listed race of the day, the Magnolia Stakes, also had an above-average winner with Mootasadir (123 from 120) completing a four-timer and keeping his unbeaten record on all-weather surfaces. With the Melbourne Cup talked of as his long-term aim, he’s yet to prove himself fully on turf (beaten both tries last year), but nearer at hand the John Porter at Newbury later this month could be his chance to put that right. Runner-up Extra Elusive (116 from 105+) showed plenty of improvement in a first-time hood, and his trainer Roger Charlton went one better in the Rosebery Handicap with the progressive Forbidden Planet (104p from 100p), though he's another as yet unproven on turf. George Bowen (115 from 113) put up a smart performance to win the six-furlong handicap, but it wasn’t a competitive race for the grade and things went very much his way.

It was a quiet weekend for the jumpers, but Limerick’s Grade 3 novice chase on Sunday, the Hugh McMahon Memorial, featured smart performances from the Willie Mullins pair Burrows Saint (144p from 139p) and Robin des Foret (146 from 144). While the latter came out best at the weights conceding 6 lb to his stable-companion, it’s the younger winner who looks the more interesting future prospect, seemingly suited by the step up to three miles. He has options at Fairyhouse at Easter in either the Irish Grand National or, kept to novice company, the Ryanair Gold Cup.

While there was high-class action on the Dubai World Cup card, it was mostly a case of already high-class performers confirming their status, rather than achieving anything new. Thunder Snow (128) is a case in point, though he made history in becoming the first dual winner of the Dubai World Cup when getting the better of the year-younger Gronkowski (127 from 122) by just a nose – he’d had nearly six lengths to spare in 2018. The latter ran a career best a year to the day since winning a listed race at Newcastle on his final start for Jeremy Noseda. Gronkowski technically came out the better of the pair at the weights, in fact, meeting Thunder Snow on level terms whereas Timeform’s weight-for-age scale says four-year-olds are still entitled to be getting 2 lb from older rivals over ten furlongs at this time of year.

THUNDER SNOW (IRE) wins Dubai World Cup for Saeed bin Suroor at the #DWC19 under Christophe Soumillon at @MeydanRacing pic.twitter.com/AljvDmMbZR

— Dubai Racing Channel (@DubaiRacingTV) 30 March 2019

Last year’s Great Voltigeur Stakes has turned out to be some race. The St Leger winner Kew Gardens finished only third at York behind the Godolphin pair Cross Counter (124) and Old Persian (127 from 124) who were the winners of the Dubai Gold Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic respectively. Cross Counter ran right up to his Melbourne Cup-winning form to get the better of fellow Godolphin gelding Ispolini (122 from 121) who has thrived in Dubai in recent months, giving Godolphin a strong hand in upcoming staying contests, while all the top mile and a half races are likely to be under consideration for Old Persian in the months ahead. Yet another big winner for Godolphin on the night was Blue Point (129) who was well on top when landing the odds in the Al Quoz Sprint, a race he’d had to miss at the last minute last year when found to be bleeding from the nose. Last year’s King Stand winner therefore looks in top form for his return to Europe’s best sprints.

Japanese superstar Almond Eye maintains her unbeaten record in the Dubai Turf @MeydanRacing! 😍#DubaiWorldCup #DWC19 pic.twitter.com/Ah9oLGPZ0P

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) 30 March 2019

In wasn’t quite all about Godolphin, however, as potentially the most exciting horse on display at Meydan was the Japanese filly Almond Eye (126) who had shot to wider attention when winning the Japan Cup in an incredibly fast time late last year. She didn’t disappoint on her first start outside her native country when running out an impressive winner of the nine-furlong Dubai Turf – her seventh success in a row since suffering her only defeat on her debut – and she’s very much one to look forward to seeing in Europe later in the year. Japanese horses took three of the first four places in the Dubai Turf, though the exception was Lord Glitters (123 from 121) running a career best for David O’Meara in third.