Saeed bin Suroor has lined up Promising Run in the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes on Saturday at Meydan as the Godolphin trainer bids for a fourth turf prize for fillies and mares run over 1,800 metres.
Promising Run was impressive on her seasonal appearance when winning the Group 2 Cape Verdi from Irish raider Rehana on January 25.
This looks straightforward for the five year old mare as she meets most of the runners that finished behind her on that day in the seventh Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting at Meydan on Saturday.
“I am looking forward to seeing Promising Run race again in the Balanchine,” said Bin Suroor in a news release, who had won the inaugural Balanchine in 2004 with Gonfilia and successful with Sajjhaa (2013) and Very Special (2016).
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“She (Promising Run) won the Cape Verdi convincingly and has continued to improve since then. She has won five times for Godolphin and hopefully she can add to that tally.”
Bin Suroor has a good record in the race and believes Promising Run can follow in the path of his 2013 winner Sajjhaa
“Sajjhaa was a fantastic mare who, after her Balanchine win, went on to success in the Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday and the Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup Night,” he said.
“I have fond memories of her and we are hopeful that Promising Run can show similar talent.”
Bin Suroor is the leading trainer in this season’s Dubai World Cup Carnival with 12 wins, including major victories for Thunder Snow, Benbatl and Winter Lightning in addition to the success of Promising Run in the Cape Verdi.
While Promising Run challenges for the Group 2 prize in the seven-race card, Charlie Appleby, the other Godolphin trainer, send out Bravo Zolo in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes.
Unlike Promising Run, the six year old gelding by Rip Van Winkle is seeking his first win of the season after second in a handicap and third in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya behind the Godolphin pair Benbatl and Bay Of Poets.
Godolphin has already racked up 19 winners in six Carnival meetings and can add to that tally as they have strong presence in four other races.
They are double handed in the opener with Baccarat and Steady Pace, and two in the fourth race, Dubai One and Log Out Island.
Blair House, GK Chesterton, Mountain Hunter and Kidmenever are in the fifth race, and three entered in the concluding handicap – Silver Line, Top Score and Van Der Decken.
