LONDON// Godolphin have purchased Alkimos, who finished second in the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot, in order to race at the Dubai Carnival at Meydan racecourse next year.
Alkimos was owned by Leonidas Marinopoulos, who also owns Presvis, last season's Dubai Duty Free winner, and was trained by Luca Cumani. The sum was undisclosed.
The three-year-old son of High Chaparral finished second to Pisco Sour in the Group 3 contest over 2,000m at the Royal Meeting ahead of the Godolphin pair Laajooj and Hunter's Light.
"Alkimos has been purchased with a view to running him at the Dubai Carnival next year," said Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager. "It's unlikely that he will run in Britain before that. He is a nice addition to the team."
Alkimos is officially rated at 104, which is high enough to be entered in most of Meydan's handicaps, after two wins from just four starts.
His profile is ultra-progressive and if he continues in the same vein he could improve to take a hand in many of the better Group races between 1,600m and 2,000m.
Alkimos shares High Chaparral as a sire with So You Think, Aidan O'Brien's exciting Australian import who is slated to line-up in Saturday's Group 1 Eclipse at Sandown against last year's Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Workforce.
So You Think was beaten by Rewilding in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot under Ryan Moore, the jockey, but as Moore is contracted to ride Workforce for Sir Michael Stoute, O'Brien must find a replacement for the three-times English champion rider.
Both Joseph O'Brien, the trainer's son, and Seamie Heffernan are in the frame to ride, but O'Brien was in no rush yesterday to name Moore' substitute.
"Joseph rides him out every day, Seamie rides him in all his work, and Seamie rode him the day he won the first time for us at the Curragh," said the Irishman.
"I don't think there's any scarcity of riders, so we'll decide if he's going to run or not first and then we can talk about who is going to ride him.
"We're delighted with him and everything has been good since Ascot."
