Tag Archive for: Mawj

Bin Suroor and Murphy thrilled to be back at the top table

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Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy were thrust back into the spotlight, with Mawj emerging triumphant in an epic renewal of the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

While neither is any stranger to big-race success, for differing reasons victories at the top table have been harder to come by in recent times.

Murphy was champion jockey for three seasons on the trot between 2019 and 2021, but last year was a troubling one for the rider as alcohol and Covid breaches led to him serving a 14-month suspension imposed by the British Horseracing Authority.

But having made his comeback in mid-February, a man of Murphy’s talents was never going to be left sitting in the weighing room when the top prizes are up for grabs and the 27-year-old proved why with a masterful ride aboard Mawj, for a first success in the Rowley Mile Classic having won the 2000 Guineas with Kameko in 2020.

Saeed bin Suroor back in the big time
Saeed bin Suroor back in the big time (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“All the Group Ones are important and it’s a relief as well. The Guineas are such important races,” he said afterwards.

“I was on a long losing run here at Newmarket. I had four full racedays with no winner here and lots of chances and I couldn’t get on the scoresheet, but Teumessias Fox won yesterday and Running Lion was so impressive earlier, so I went out on Mawj full of confidence.”

On securing a Classic winner so soon after his return, Murphy added: “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. I had a really good start back thanks to lots of different trainers supporting me. Just to get back in the big races with a crowd here, it’s a great feeling.

“All the Group One winners mean a lot, even my first winner back meant a lot. I just realise, particularly as I’ve got older, these top-class horses are super hard to find.

“There were 20 horses in the race today who thought they had a chance of winning the 1000 Guineas and there’s only one winner, so you’ve got to savour the moment when you can get those victories.”

Oisin Murphy celebrates Mawj's success
Oisin Murphy celebrates Mawj’s success (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Bin Suroor has saddled close to 200 Group One winners around the world during his long and illustrious training career, with names such as Dubai Millennium, Daylami, Sakhee, Swain and Lammtarra adoring his CV. But it had been 14 years since Mastery provided him with the most recent of his 12 previous Classic triumphs in the 2009 St Leger.

The hugely popular trainer has had to watch on as his fellow Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby has become the sport’s dominant force, and Bin Suroor was delighted to show that when given the ammunition he can still get the job done.

He said: ““I think this my 195th Group One winner around the world.

“It means a lot as it has been a long time since we won a Classic race in England. It means a lot to myself, Godolphin and the sport also. It has taken us a long time to win another 1000 Guineas.

“Charlie and myself are a good team. He worked for me for a long time and he has become one of the best trainers now. We are good friends.

“When we started we had very good horses in those days but recently things have been slow with the quality of horses but luckily when I saw this filly start to work, despite her being tiny, she showed her class.

“We ran her in Group races last year and she managed to win one in England then we stepped her up to a mile in Dubai and she won the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas well.

“We talked to Sheikh Mohammed and he let her run in the Guineas today and Oisin gave her a good ride. She has a big heart and I thought she was going to win when they were close.

“I thought she would do well as her last two pieces of work here in Newmarket were brilliant.

“It is a great boost for the stable and everybody at the yard will be really happy.”

Mawj digs deep to land epic Guineas for Bin Suroor and Murphy

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Mawj gained a scintillating success in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, getting the better of favourite Tahiyra after an epic duel up the Rowley Mile at Newmarket.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, the Exceed And Excel filly showed guts aplenty under a superb ride from Oisin Murphy to score by half a length.

The 9-1 winner had to do the hard work on the near side as the 20-strong field split into two groups – and it always looked like being a two-horse battle from the dip.

Tahiyra fell out of the stalls, but made silky-smooth headway under Chris Hayes and the Dermot Weld-trained filly looked the most likely winner a furlong out.

However, on her first start of the season, the Moyglare winner – sent off the 6-4 market leader – just lost out to the battle-hardened Mawj, who had twice won in Meydan over the winter.

The pair were seven and a half lengths clear of Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte, who had helped the set the pace on the far-side group and stuck to her guns gallantly. Caernarfon was fourth at 50-1 for Jack Channonn.

It was a welcome return to the big-race winner’s enclosure for Bin Suroor and his third success in the race following Cape Verdi (1998) and Kazzia (2002), while it was Murphy’s second Classic after Kameko’s 2000 Guineas win in 2020.

Bin Suroor said: “I think this is Group One number 195 around the world.

“The filly was doing well before the race. If you saw her last year she was really tough and strong. She is a tiny filly, but she has a big heart. She is a Group Two winner here and unbeaten in Dubai.

“I spoke to Sheikh Mohammed before we ran her in Dubai over a mile. We tried her over a mile and she did well out in Dubai. I talked to Sheikh Mohammed before we declared her and it was a great decision from him, and the filly won well – we’re happy with her.

“Me and Charlie (Appleby) are a good team and he was with me for a long time before becoming the best trainer now. We’re good friends and have the best horses in the country, maybe even the world in our stables. We will sometimes have luck like with Mawj today, she’s a nice filly.

“We will keep options open and see how she comes out of the race. She’s entered in French Guineas but that is probably too close to this race, but she is also in the Irish Guineas so we will take to Sheikh Mohammed and will make a decision after a week.”

Former champion Murphy – who this season has returned to the saddle following a 14-month riding ban – said: “The sun is beating down, there are lots of people here and she walked round like she was half asleep. When I got on her back I started to believe it could happen.

All smiles from winning connections
All smiles from winning connections (Nigel French/PA)

“I was worried there wasn’t a lot of pace in the race and I rode her a bit like Frankie (Dettori) rode Chaldean yesterday – I set my own fractions on the wing with no cover. 

“It really was a very good training performance, she hasn’t run in nearly three months and I got a huge buzz out of that. These are such important races.”

Mawj in good form ahead of 1000 Guineas challenge

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Mawj will take her chance in the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Sunday week after showing Saeed bin Suroor all the right signs since returning from Dubai.

The Exceed And Excel filly, who won the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge on Newmarket’s July course in mid-summer, was last seen in Britain finishing a close-up third to Lezoo in the Cheveley Park on the Rowley Mile course in September.

While she tackled six furlongs exclusively in her two-year-old career on these shores, she was upped in trip with success when shipped to Dubai over the winter.

Mawj duly won the seven-furlong Jumeirah Fillies Classic and then scooted to an eight-and-a-half-length success in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas on her first try over a mile.

Though not the biggest, she has proven herself to be all heart in winning four of her seven career starts, and she is as short as 12-1 for the mile fillies’ Classic.

Bin Suroor said: “She is good, has been working well and in good form. She will run in the Guineas.

“She is a nice filly and a proven filly. She has shown plenty of speed, but she stayed a mile well in Dubai and now we will give her a chance in the Guineas.

“It is a very tough race, but we have to give her a chance and see how she goes, as she has earned that chance.

“She has grown a little, but not much. That is why we gave her a break between races. Two-year-olds, when you give them a break, they generally grow and strengthen.”

Classic tilt next target with Mawj following impressive Meydan success

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Mawj will be aimed at either the English or French 1000 Guineas after a highly successful spell in Dubai.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly had a fruitful two-year-old season, winning on debut and then finishing second to current 1000 Guineas favourite Meditate in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A victorious step up to Group Two level followed in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket’s July course, after which she was fourth in the Lowther and third in the Cheveley Park.

Over the winter the bay headed out to Dubai, making her first start at Meydan when stepping up to seven furlongs in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic in late January.

That run resulted in a short-head victory over Dream Of Love, also Godolphin owned, making Mawj the 11-10 joint-favourite when she returned to the track for the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas the following month.

Again she was the winner, routing a field of eight rivals to prevail by an unchallenged eight and a half lengths over an extended trip of a mile.

Bin Suroor said: “She ran really well. She won over six furlongs in England and she came back here over seven furlongs, the way she worked in the morning I thought she could stay the mile.

“It was worth a try and she was really impressive, she won it easily.

“She’s a tiny filly but she has plenty of speed, she’s by Exceed And Excel.”

There are now two clear next steps for the three-year-old, with Bin Suroor planning on sending her to Newmarket in May or for the French version, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, at ParisLongchamp during the same month.

“There are options to run her in the French or the English Guineas, one of those will be the next target with her,” he said.

“The way she’s done it, she’s definitely improved, she did it so well. She’s grown a little bit out in Dubai and she’s a better filly now.

“To run her in the Guineas is a bigger step, but we will have a chance.”

Mawj makes waves with impressive Meydan victory

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Mawj’s successful early season continued when she sauntered home in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas Stakes Presented by Defender at Meydan.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained three-year-old showed great promise as a juvenile last season, winning the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and placing in the Albany, the Lowther and the Cheveley Park.

This year her campaign began at Meydan in late January in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic, a seven-furlong affair she won by a short head from Charlie Appleby’s Dream Of Love.

Returning to the same track this time for a first try at a mile, she was the joint evens favourite alongside the Appleby-trained Fairy Cross and made all of the running under Danny Tudhope, hardly seeing a rival when striding to an unchallenged eight-and-a-half-length success.

“As we know, she’s plenty of speed at six furlongs and seven furlongs we’ve tried before. Tonight she led all the way, she’s a nice filly and she’s improved a lot,” said Bin Suroor.

“This was the plan for her, then the English Guineas or maybe the French Guineas, but the boss (Sheikh Mohammed) will decide.

“Also there is one race on World Cup night, the UAE Derby, but it’s more likely that we’ll take her back to England.

“We are in no rush, we have plenty of time. We will see how she comes back from the race, talk to the boss and make a decision.”

Mawj was trimmed to 16-1 from 25-1 for 1000 Guineas with Coral, and Bin Suroor is hopeful more improvement will come as she develops.

He said: “When she was a two-year-old she was tiny and skinny, we didn’t think she was a lot, but every time she worked in the mornings we could see she had some class.

“When she ran I liked her and in between races when we gave her a break, you could see in her condition that she changed and also grew.

“She grew a little bit when she arrived in Dubai and so far she’s looked like a nice filly for the future. We’ll see, but so far we are happy with her.”

The trainer is readying his horses for Super Saturday at Meydan on Saturday week, with Real World – whose only defeats on turf have been to Baaeed – headed for the Jebel Hatta en route to the Dubai Turf on World Cup night.

“Real World is doing good, and when I say good I mean improving,” Bin Suroor said.

“He’s back now and when he’ll run he’ll run at 80-85 per cent, that race will prepare him for the Dubai Turf on World Cup night.

Real World and Marco Ghiani winning in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot
Real World and Marco Ghiani winning in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“The horse is class and showed his form last year, we’ll see how we go but so far he is doing good.”

On the same card there was Group Two action in the Balanchine Presented By Land Rover Stakes.

With The Moonlight was the 2-7 favourite for Appleby and followed a prior Meydan success in the Cape Verdi with another impressive performance.

Ridden by William Buick, the Frankel filly defeated Johnny Murtagh’s Lyrical Poetry by a comfortable four and a half lengths despite a 4lb penalty.

“She came on for the Cape Verdi in every way, the nine furlongs probably suits her a little but better than the mile,” Buick said.

“She’s really getting the hang of it now, she had a good year last year and she’s started off pretty good this year.

“She has a good bit of class and she does everything the right way, she’s a real joy to deal with.”

Naval powers into Classic picture with Meydan victory

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Naval Power led home a Charlie Appleby one-two-three in the Jumeirah Classic as he kicked off his three-year-old campaign at Meydan.

The Moulton Paddocks handler dominated the top of the market in the nine-furlong Listed event and it was the Mickael Barzalona-ridden One Nation who set the fractions and looked at one stage to have slipped the field before he was hunted down by the 1-2 favourite close home.

Highbank picked up the bronze medal to complete a clean sweep of the podium for owners Godolphin and the Newmarket trainer, who was winning the race for the fifth time in six years.

The victory was the perfect way for Naval Power to get back on track following a disappointing showing in the Dewhurst in his final start at two.

“It’s quite testing conditions out there tonight, so you’re never quite sure how it will go – especially with these three-year-olds,” said winning rider William Buick.

“But it was a competitive race and the second and third set a good standard, so I was really pleased with him there. I do think he is better on slightly better ground as well.”

The Teofilo colt will now head back home where he will take in a 2000 Guineas trial before a possible tilt at the opening classic of the season – for which he was cut to 16-1 from 25s with Coral.

Buick gave his nod of approval to both the plan and the horse’s Classic credentials post race.

Betfair Sprint Cup Day – Haydock Park – Saturday September 3rd
William Buick after winning the Betfair Daily Tips on betting.betfair Ascendant Stakes with horse Naval Power at Haydock Park racecourse. Picture date: Saturday September 3, 2022.

He added: “It’s a tested and proven route and he’s definitely of that calibre.”

Saeed bin Suroor’s Mawj (9-4) just held on in an all-Godolphin finish to the Jumeirah Fillies Classic.

The Duchess of Cambridge Stakes winner, who was last seen finishing third in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes, was always to the fore in her first attempt at seven furlongs and showed real toughness to hold off 8-11 favourite Dream Of Love – who having been anchored at the back of the field rounding the home bend, flew up the Meydan straight to be denied by just short head.

The winner will now be upped to a mile for her next start in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas on February 24.

“She ran well,” said Bin Suroor. “It was a first start for her on softer ground and there was a question mark before she ran, but we gave her the chance.

“I said to the jockey ‘just keep her handy if you can’ and next time we will have to go up to a mile for the Jumeirah Guineas. So far she has done well and she will improve from this race.

“She’s a good filly but she’s tiny, like I said last year. Since she has come to Dubai she has grown a little bit, but she still needs time. She started over six furlongs, now she has won over seven and next we will try a mile and we will see. She is a nice filly, a tough filly and she always tries hard.”

There was a rare winner in Dubai for Gordon Elliott when Coachello (20-1) struck in the Listed Dubai Stakes over six furlongs, while in the evening’s feature race on the dirt, former Roger Varian inmate Prince Eiji scooped Group Three honours for Doug Watson and rider Sam Hitchcott in the Firebreak Stakes.