DUBAI // Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has made a habit of winning the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge III and did so for a 10th time on Saturday with Prince Bishop and Kieren Fallon providing his latest victory in the 2,000 metres Tapeta feature.
Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006) all won this contest before going on to victory in the world’s richest horse race, the US$10million (Dh37m) Dubai World Cup, and that will surely be the next stop for Prince Bishop in three weeks’ time.
A month ago, Fallon had won the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge II on the same horse and the pair have clearly built up a good rapport.
They sat in midfield, with Mutajare setting a good gallop before the leader weakened quickly 300m out.
That left Surfer in front and briefly he looked to have his rivals in trouble, but Fallon’s mount was making relentless progress, leading about 100m out and going away from Surfer.
Sanshaawes ran on well to snatch second, leaving Surfer to finish third in the race for the second year running.
“Prince Bishop has always worked like a really good horse and has really started to show his true ability this season and Kieren Fallon gets on really well with him,” Bin Suroor said.
“We have enjoyed a lot of success in this race in the past and it has been a good evening. The World Cup is the obvious route to follow. He seems to be improving and his win four weeks ago clearly did his confidence a lot of good.”
Fallon said: “He is talented and tough, which is never a bad combination. The World Cup will be a stronger race but he has earned his right to be there.”
The win gave Fallon and the trainer a double, but Bin Suroor turned that into a training treble by the end of the meeting.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE