Godolphin will mount a three-pronged assault in the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulians, the French 2,000 Guineas, over a mile at Longchamp today.
Frankie Dettori will ride Poet's Voice, with Ahmed Ajtebi aboard Buzzword and Mickael Barzalona on Forum Magnum. Poet's Voice makes his seasonal return, having ended his juvenile campaign with a creditable fourth in the Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket in October.
The Saeed bin Suroor-trained son of Dubawi recorded an impressive all-the-way success in the seven-furlong Group Two DFS Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September, and was a close third in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York in August after running away with a novice race at Newmarket. "I think that a mile is the right trip for Poet's Voice," said bin Suroor. "He is in good form and I have been pleased with his preparation for the race."
Buzzword makes his second successive appearance in a Classic after finish unplaced in the Group One 2,000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket earlier this month. He performed with great credit in some of the leading juvenile contests at the end of last season, including a fifth place in the mile-long Grade Two Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in November, and the Group One Jumeirah Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October.
Pivotal, a colt trained by Mahmood al Zarooni, makes his third appearance at Longchamp. He placed third in the seven-furlong Group One Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in October and won the Group Three Prix la Rochette over the same distance in September. "Buzzword is well at the moment and I think that he will make the frame at Longchamp," said al Zarooni. "He has improved since he ran at Newmarket and his last piece of work went very well."
Forum Magnum, who runs in the beige silks of Godolphin France and is trained by Andre Fabre, steps up in class after finishing a close fifth on his seasonal return in a six-furlong listed contest at Chantilly last month. He ended his 2009 season in a similar race, finishing down the field in the Group Three Prix Eclipse in October. He was runner-up in an extended six-furlong listed race at Maisons-Laffitte at the end of September and recorded a comfortable three-length victory over a furlong shorter at the same course in June.
"He showed a high level of form last season and I am hopeful that he can run well [today], although the Poule d'Essai des Poulains is always a very tough race to win." The Godolphin colts face 13 others in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, including 2,000 Guineas runner-up Siyouni, who won the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last year, and Zazou and Rajsaman, the Group Three winners. Meanwhile, Campanologist makes his European return in the Group One Premio Presidente della Repubblica at Rome's Capannelle Racecourse today.
"Campanologist looks in good form at the moment and he has been working nicely," said bin Suroor. "He performed well out in Dubai earlier this year and I think that he goes to Italy with a good chance. Racing over 10 furlongs will suit him well and he deserves to continue in Group One company."
* Godolphin.com
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.
The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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