Cambridgeshire meeting victories bode well for Arc weekend

Significant wins for Benbatl, Bedouin’s Story, Soft Whisper and Modern Games at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting ensure Godolphin heads into one of the most important weekends of the European calendar in excellent form.

Benbatl looked as good as ever at the age of seven when capturing the G2 Joel Stakes for a second time, a 10th Group race success for the evergreen Dubawi entire.

Ground permitting, he looks set to try and add a fourth G1 to his CV on Champions Day at Ascot next month, with the Breeders’ Cup an attractive alternative for the globetrotting star.

Meydan graduate Bedouin’s Story revelled in the hustle and bustle of the Cambridgeshire itself as he flew home from the rear to provide Godolphin with a first win in the historic heritage handicap.

UAE 1,000 Guineas heroine Soft Whisper followed up victory at Meydan earlier this year with success at Newmarket as well when scoring on turf in the Listed Rosemary Stakes.

Modern Games could be set for a trip to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf following an impressive success in the G3 Tattersalls Stakes. Fellow two-year-old Coroebus lost little in defeat when going down by a short-head in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes.

Anamoe also endured a narrow reversal in Australia as he produced a storming late run to finish a head behind all-the-way winner In The Congo in the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill.

Longchamp’s Arc weekend dominates the European landscape this week and Godolphin will have a host of challengers in Paris, with two outstanding three-year-olds chasing history in the 100th edition of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Adayar is bidding to complete the Derby-King George-Arc treble achieved only by Mill Reef and Lammtarra, while Hurricane Lane is hoping to become the first St Leger winner to go on to capture the Arc. Space Blues and Erasmo are due to run in the G1 Prix de la Foret, with Noble Truth and Fleur d’Iris under consideration for the two juvenile G1 contests – the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Prix Marcel Boussac.

Real World, Manobo, Kemari, Victor Ludorum and Magny Cours are all expected to feature in several of the supporting Group races over the two-day meeting.

In North America, Maxfield will be looking to confirm his place in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic as he goes for a second G1 win in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park.

On the same day, Althiqa could go for a third straight G1 success in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, with top mare Colette in the frame for the G1 Turnbull Stakes in Australia.