Turf Classic hero Santin stars among progressive trio in United States

Santin, Matareya and Cody’s Wish ensured an excellent weekend for Godolphin in North America, with all three homebreds posting career-best Graded victories.

Four-year-old Santin enjoyed a first G1 success on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs as he bravely prevailed by a neck over Mira Mission in the Turf Classic.

Last year’s G1 Hollywood Derby runner-up was making only his sixth career start and could still improve, with the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park a potential next step for the Brendan Walsh-trained colt.

Matareya continued her perfect three-year-old campaign with a comfortable victory in the G2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs on Friday. Having recorded G3 and G2 wins on her last two starts, a crack at a G1 beckons for the filly, possibly at Belmont Park in next month’s Acorn Stakes.

At Belmont Park on Saturday, Cody’s Wish graduated to G3 honours with a dominant display in the Westchester Stakes. The four-year-old colt will be hoping to emulate his trainer Bill Mott’s two previous winners of the same contest, who both went on to subsequent G1 sucess.

Two of Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup winners from 2021 are on course to run this weekend, with Eclipse Award winner Yibir (pictured) back in the United States for Belmont Park’s G1 Man o’War Stakes.

Modern Games travels to France as he makes his first appearance since taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in Sunday’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp.

Real World puts his unbeaten turf record on the line in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday. Godolphin is the leading owner in the first G1 of the UK season for older horses, with current Darley stallions Farhh, Night Of Thunder, Belardo and Ribchester among eight wins for the royal blue silks.