Veteran campaigners continue to shine on both sides of Atlantic

Ottoman Fleet, Noble Dynasty and King Of Conquest made it a good weekend for Godolphin’s older horses with significant wins at Churchill Downs and Newmarket over the weekend.

The supremely consistent Ottoman Fleet continued his fine season when making virtually all the running in Saturday’s G2 Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs. The five-year-old was completing a quick-fire double at the track, having taken the G3 Arlington Stakes at the start of the month.

Ottoman Fleet has only finished out of the first four once in 19 career starts, with Pattern race wins at Belmont Park and Newmarket in addition to his Churchill Downs exploits. Runner-up to Measured Time in February’s Jebel Hatta, he could now return to G1 level for the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga later in the summer.

Six-year-old Noble Dynasty secured a first Group race victory with a comfortable success in the G3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday. The half-brother to Barney Roy missed the whole of 2023 but is rapidly making up for lost time and will be aimed at the G2 Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

King Of Conquest completed back-to-back Listed wins on the same Newmarket card, edging out Aimeric in the Fred Archer Stakes. Having campaigned over a mile and a half throughout this season, the five-year-old could now step up in trip for his next assignment.

Off Trail has been flying the flag for his sire Farhh in Japan and the three-year-old colt posted a first G3 success with a remarkable display in the Radio Nikkei Sho at Fukushima on Sunday as he flew from last to first.

Bred in the UK, Off Trail has improved for the step up to nine furlongs, although his trainer Keiji Yoshimura would like to consider dropping him back in trip for an audacious tilt at the AUS$10m Golden Eagle in Australia.

Charlie Appleby’s US team will be hoping for more glory in the United States this Saturday at Aqueduct. Legend Of Time bids to follow up his win in the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes when he tackles the G1 Belmont Derby, while 1,000 Guineas seventh Cinderella’s Dream lines up in the G1 Belmont Oaks.