Third in the race last year, Magny Cours, one of four in the race for Godolphin, will be hoping to go two places better this time, facing ten rivals in Friday’s Group 3 Bahrain International Trophy at Sakhir. Beaten just under a length 12 months ago, he was actually in front entering the closing stages but lost second close home when Barney Roy and eventual winner Lord Glitters battled past him.
Homebred, the admirable 7yo gelded son of Medaglia D’Oro, trained in France by Andre Fabre, will again have the assistance of Mickael Barzalona and the pair arrive here with the advantage of a recent victory having landed a 1900m conditions contest on the Chantilly all-weather in early October.
He has already amassed £1,314,801 in prize money and connections will be hoping to supplement that from the £600,000 on offer here. Yet to strike a victory in Bahrain, Godolphin certainly appear keen to remedy that this year and Saeed bin Suroor saddles both Dubai Future and Passion And Glory, the mounts of Danny Tudhope and Richard Kingscote respectively.
A Group Three winner at Glorious Goodwood in 2021, Kingscote’s mount, a 6yo homebred gelding by Cape Cross, has six victories to his name, most recently in a Listed race at Sandown on the first day of July. Dubai Future, also a homebred 6yo gelding but by Dubawi, is seeking a sixth success and is well proven on the international stage having scored at Meydan during each of the three most recent Dubai World Cup Carnivals.
TUDHOPE ABOARD AGAIN
His latest success was under Tudhope in Royal Ascot’s Wolferton Stakes, over 1m2f on fast ground, the prevailing conditions he will likely encounter Friday. However, Charlie Appleby, who saw Barney Roy deprived in the very final strides last year, may have the strongest of the Godolphin contenders in the shape of Royal Fleet, the mount, predictably, of William Buick.
Another homebred Dubawi gelding, but only a 4yo, has visited the winner’s enclosure more often than not having landed six of 11 appearances, highlighted by the 1m2f Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes on his third and final Meydan appearance of the 2022 carnival having twice fiished runner-up in Group Two company.
FITNESS EDGE?
He returned to Britain with a Listed race success in September before placed efforts on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, the second occasion in a Listed race at the very end of October so race fitness should not be an issue. Prior to that he was third in the Group 3 Masar Darley Stakes won by Shadwell’s Alfaila, withdrawn from this highlight after an injury suffered on Monday.
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