Rarely has there been a more exciting weekend in prospect for Godolphin as high-profile horses in Australia, Europe and America line up for a series of important races that have a major bearing on plans for the months ahead.
Rarely has there been a more exciting weekend in prospect for Godolphin as high-profile horses in Australia, Europe and America line up for a series of important races that have a major bearing on plans for the months ahead.
Contributer and Hartnell, already G1 winners for the stable, start their Spring campaigns in Melbourne and Sydney respectively, while in the UK, Arc contender Jack Hobbs limbers up on the Polytrack at Kempton as Belardo takes a dramatic drop in trip to contest the G1 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock.
And, as the Saratoga meeting comes to a close, the well-regarded Bay Of Plenty bids for a G1 victory in the nine-furlong Woodward Stakes in New York state. The action takes place on three continents, all in the space of 24 hours.
From Sydney, Godolphin trainer John O'Shea reports he is delighted with the early progress of Contributer and Hartnell, and he explains that there is good reason for sending his two stars to race in different states.
Contributer, winner of four of his five races in Australia, runs in the one-mile G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley, the tight Melbourne track that is also home to next month's Cox Plate.
O'Shea is keen for Contributer to have experience of the Valley. "It's an important race for him. If he doesn't handle the track, then we'll forget the Cox Plate and do something else. But he's in great form for this first race of the Spring.
"I'm also happy that he is in Melbourne because it has been very wet in Sydney, and the ground up here at present wouldn't suit him," the trainer added.
Hartnell will kick off his campaign in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes, over one mile, at Randwick, a race in which trainer Chris Waller sends out 11 of the 16 runners. O'Shea, though, is not fazed by the prospect of his rival being mob-handed.
"Hartnell is going so well at home," O'Shea reported. "He's had two trials recently, and James (McDonald, his jockey) finished with sore arms both times, he was pulling so hard throughout.
"From where he is drawn, he won't be far away. With so many runners, he won't want to get back. He will run very well," he added.
Long-term, the Melbourne Cup is the target, though provided he comes through the Chelmsford well, the plan is for Hartnell to contest the Underwood Stakes, Caulfield Stakes and Cox Plate, all of which are run at weight-for-age.
Complacent, runner-up in the 2013 Victoria Derby, carries the second set of Godolphin colours in the Chelmsford.
Other key runners for the stable in Sydney are Calaverite and Ottoman (G2 Furious Stakes), It's Somewhat and Sweynesse (G2 Tramway Stakes) though first emergency Hauraki is Godolphin's best chance if he gets a run, according to O'Shea.
In Melbourne, Furnaces faces Chautauqua in the five-furlong McEwen Stakes and the Godolphin runner will be tackling his pet distance.
In Europe, the John Gosden-trained Jack Hobbs has a relatively easy task on paper when facing six rivals in Kempton's September Stakes. Using a race on Polytrack as a prep for the Arc is not common practice, but Godolphin jockey William Buick understands the logic behind it.
"It means that you don't have to be travelling over to Paris for one of the traditional trials, and then doing it all over again three weeks later. Jack Hobbs was a big winner of the Irish Derby and I feel very privileged to be riding him," he said.
Belardo, last year's impressive winner of the G1 Dewhurst Stakes, reverts to a sprint distance in the Betfred Sprint Cup after three races over one mile. His best effort was fourth to Gleneagles in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
The key to his chance is the ground -- he likes it on the soft side -- but his draw is seen by some as a disadvantage.
At Saratoga, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is hoping that Bay Of Plenty can handle the step up to G1 company in the Woodward Stakes, over nine furlongs.
"He loved the track when he won last time, so we decided to hit for the big time with a G1. It's a big step but he's ready," McLaughlin said. He rates Liam's Map as the biggest danger.
