More Group 1 races likely for Godolphin Racing’s Latharnach

Godolphin Racing’s Latharnach, the son of Iffraaj, finished two and a half lengths behind Gleneagles in the race run over a mile at the iconic Berkshire race track at Royal Ascot, UK.

Godolphin Racing’s Latharnach (right) ridden by William Buick makes a valiant attempt to keep pace with Gleneagles in the St James’s Palace Stakes. — Reuters

Abu Dhabi — Latharnach’s connections were pretty pleased with the three-year-old colt’s debut in a Group 1 contest after he finished second to double Guineas winner Gleneagles in the St James’s Palace Stakes and promised there was more to come.

Godolphin Racing’s Latharnach, the son of Iffraaj, finished two and a half lengths behind Gleneagles in the race run over a mile at the iconic Berkshire race track at Royal Ascot, UK.

It was his first Group 1 run in five starts.

Ridden by Dubai World Cup-winning jockey William Buick, who had earlier guided Buratino to victory in the Coventry Stakes Group 2, raced last of the five runners, for much of the contest.

He was still at the back of the field entering the straight but made good headway to go third with a furlong remaining. Latharnach ran on all the way to take second from Consort in the closing stages.

And trainer Charlie Appleby was confident of Latharnach impressing again when given a run out in Group 1.
“We are delighted with the performance,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.

“We set our stall out that we’d sit out the back and let the race unfold in front of us. Today was a learning curve about what level we can step up to. He saw out the mile well there and he’s obviously shown a good level of ability, so he’s got an array of options.”

“We’ll let the horse come out of the race and see where we are. When you finish second behind a horse who has won two Guineas (Gleneagles), I’ll be happy enough to say that we’ll be confident in taking our chances in a Group One again, for sure,” he added.

William Buick added: “We have always thought a lot of Latharnach. He needed his first run at Newmarket and that was a great run coming back there. He battled and he was up against Gleneagles, who is in a different class, but he was a good second.”

Earlier, Buick had piloted the Mark Johnston-trained Buratino to a win in the Coventry Stakes run over six furlongs.

The two-year-old, who had won the Investec Woodcote Stakes in Epsom earlier this month, kept pace with the lead pack and chased before coming close. He then ran strongly with a furlong left and took the lead and increased the pace further to win by two lengths over Air Force Blue.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai was pleased as Latharnach dazzled in the silks of Royal Blue.

“It is very, very good to start with this win. Buratino is a very good horse who is improving and Mark Johnston has done well,” Shaikh Mohammed told Godolphin’s website.

Meanwhile, Johnston, said: “Buratino has lived up to expectations and more, because he was beaten at Sandown and Ascot over five furlongs, and the race he won at Epsom was quite different — it looked so impressive, but until you meet other six-furlong horses you don’t know.

“Stepping Buratino up in trip to six furlongs has been the key, and William has now ridden him three times. That said, Buratino has a lot of speed as well.”

Meanwhile, Night of Thunder, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by James Doyle, gave a tough fight before finishing fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes Group 1. The race was won by Solow, who had also won the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World at Meydan in March.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Steady Pace was third in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

james@khaleejtimes.com