Cascadian proves an All Aged legend as UK team hits the ground running

Veteran campaigner Cascadian secured the second G1 of his career with a sparkling display in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, on a week when Godolphin’s UK runners hit a rich vein of form.

Now seven, Cascadian started his career in France but has gone on to establish himself as one of Australia’s most admirable performers. The son of New Approach produced a blistering turn of foot on heavy ground, adding to his previous G1 success in the 2021 Doncaster Mile.

Fellow G1-winning seven-year-old Kementari struck on the same card as he returned to the scene of his 2018 Randwick Guineas victory with a brave win in the G3 Hall Mark Stakes.

Newmarket’s Craven meeting has proven a good hunting ground for Godolphin in recent years. Master Of The Seas, a half-brother to Cascadian’s dam Falls Of Lora, captured the Craven Stakes 12 months ago and enjoyed another G3 victory at the meeting when taking the Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

Native Trail emulated Master Of The Seas and 2018 winner Masar by winning the Craven Stakes, with last year’s Champion two-year-old stretching his unbeaten record to five with another imperious display.

All roads lead to the 2,000 Guineas at the end of the month for the outstanding colt, whose stable-mate Coroebus also warmed up for the colts’ Classic with a racecourse gallop at Newmarket.

An exciting week saw several more noteworthy efforts from Godolphin’s three-year-old crop in the UK, including New Science who booked his place in the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot with victory in Newmarket’s Listed European Free Handicap.

Wild Beauty looks set for a trip to France for the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches following a successful return to action in the G3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury.

Walk Of Stars edged out Hafit to capture the same Newbury conditions race won by Hurricane Lane in 2021, while Life Of Dreams, New London and Natural World all made impressive starts to their three-year-old campaigns.

A Derby contender or two could emerge over the coming days, with Nahanni lining up in the Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom Downs on Tuesday and Goldspur set to run in the G3 Sandown Classic Trial, a race in which Adayar finished second in 2021.

Good Friday saw the end of the all-weather season in the UK and Godolphin was crowned Champion Owner for an eighth successive time, with unexposed four-year-old Trawlerman wrapping up the season with a win a Chelmsford City.

Reciprocate graduated to Listed honours on dirt in Japan as he flew home to take the Keiyo Stakes at Nakayama, while Pennybaker also scored on the same surface when powering to victory on her US debut in Laurel Park’s Heavenly Cause Stakes.

Elsewhere in the US, last year’s Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide took another step on his return from injury as he worked at Keeneland on Saturday.