Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor seeks a fifth win in Goodwood’s Group 2 Celebration Mile and saddles two of the seven runners headed by last year’s winner, Poet’s Voice.
Having his first outing since Dubai World Cup night at the end of march, he will be ridden by Frankie Dettori and his trainer expects a good run but with further improvement to come.
Bin Suroor said: “Poet’s Voice is pleasing us after his break and had his last piece of work on Thursday. He worked very well and certainly appears back in good condition.
“He will improve a lot from this race. He will benefit from a strong pace in the race and Emerald Commander will be there to ensure they go a good gallop.
“Emerald Commander has plenty of ability himself and he is also working well at present,” he added.
Poet’s Voice looks certain to start favourite with Chris Wall’s Premio Loco and Richard Hannon’s Dubawi Gold looking the main dangers.
Wall’s charge has not won for over a year and the trainer said: “He ran very well at Newbury in the spring but he didn’t run well at Epsom. At the time, our horses were not as healthy as they should have been, so we had to take time to get him fresh and well again.
“Last time, at Salisbury, he saw less daylight than the Chilean miners down a hole, so you can’t take that as a true form guide – he just never got the chance to get out and get racing.
“He is very well and has come out of the Salisbury race in good nick.”
Dubawi Gold was second in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas as well as the Irish equivalent and is another needing to bounce back after disappointing recently.
Trainer Hannon said: “Dubawi Gold is the only 3yo in the race, but the Classic generation (3yos) came out on top the last three years and he goes there with a decent chance.”
The Clive Cox-trained Beacon Lodge may be a big threat if the forecast rains arrive before the race. Dettori is also in the saddle on Godolphin’s Rakasa who contests the Group 3 Prestige Stakes, a 2yo fillies’ contest over 7f.
Trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni she won her only start to date, under Dettori, in a 6f maiden at Goodwood. The big race action moves to Windsor in the evening with Godolphin triple handed in the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes, a race they have won on six previous occasions.
Dettori partners Prince Bishop, also trained by Bin Suroor and returning to action having been off since World Cup night when he was tenth in the World Cup itself.
He is joined by stable companion Prince Siegfried and the Al Zarooni-trained Simon De Montfort to give ‘the boys in blue’ a strong hand among the 12 runners which also include UAE 1000 Guineas heroine Mahbooba.
She is trained by Mike De Kock for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
