logo
Sovereignty triumphs in Belmont; Ruling Court misses Epsom Derby

Sovereignty triumphs in Belmont; Ruling Court misses Epsom Derby

Khaleej Times4 days ago

It was a weekend of soaring highs and unexpected disappointment for the Dubai-owned racing powerhouse, Godolphin — a transatlantic rollercoaster that showcased both their equine riches and the unpredictability of the sport.
In the United States, their star three-year-old Sovereignty confirmed his dominance with an emphatic victory in the G1 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga while just hours earlier and across the Atlantic, Ruling Court was dramatically withdrawn from the Epsom Derby due to deteriorating ground conditions.
Unfazed by the contrasting fortunes, Sovereignty rose to the occasion in Saratoga. Ridden by Junior Alvarado, he delivered another masterclass to stamp his authority as North America's top colt, defeating Journalism — his familiar rival from the Kentucky Derby — with a commanding three-length victory.
A length and a half had separated the duo at Churchill Downs last month in which Sovereignty unleashed a powerful stretch run on a wet track to provide Godolphin with a landmark first success in the Run for the Roses.
On a faster surface this time, Sovereignty was sharp from the gates, travelling sweetly in third early before engaging in a tactical duel with Journalism, who loomed large around the final turn. But once again, it was Godolphin's blue silks that flashed clear inside the final furlong.
Bill Mott, Sovereignty's trainer, summed it up best saying: 'We had a repeat of the Derby – the first three finishers finished 1-2-3 here – and the form is holding up. They are three really good horses and I'm glad that Sovereignty was able to come back and put in a race like he did in the Derby.
'If we hadn't won today, we would have taken a lot of criticism for missing the Preakness, but it turned out good. Sometimes, you make the right decision and a lot of times you make the wrong ones. Today, it really worked out well.'
Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, hailed the victory as part of a bigger, long-term vision.
'It's the most fantastic feeling in the world,' he said. 'Sovereignty was trained to the minute by Bill and his team to come here off a five-week rest.
'We decided to head here a few days after the Derby and I feel it was justified with the spectacular performance we saw today.
'We are looking at trying to have the horse for the whole year, and have a whole career with him as well. There are races down the road that we would really like to win – the Travers is very special,' Mott, winner of the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996 with Cigar, added.
'It would be great, if the horse is healthy and well, to try and get to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup Classic.'
Jockey Junior Alvarado commented: 'This is what racing is about, two great horses matching each other. Journalism ran amazing again today after coming back from the Preakness. He fought very hard and didn't make it any easier for my horse. Sovereignty was great today.'
But while celebrations rang out at Saratoga, the atmosphere at Epsom Downs was more subdued. Godolphin's other star colt, Ruling Court, a brilliant winner of the 2000 Guineas, was withdrawn just hours before the Epsom Derby (G1) after persistent rain softened the turf, making conditions unsuitable for the son of high-class Kentucky stallion Justify.
Trainer Charlie Appleby made the difficult decision in consultation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, placing the horse's wellbeing above all else. The Derby's loss reflected Godolphin's careful strategy to protect their brightest European hopes.
The decision, while disappointing, was understood by all in the camp, including jockey William Buick, who was left without a ride.
'Of course, it's gutting to miss a ride like this,' Buick admitted. 'But when it comes to the horse's safety, you have to be clear-headed. The ground just wasn't right for him.'
Instead of risking Ruling Court on testing ground, connections now eye the St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot as his next likely target.
With the Ruling Court absent, the Derby unfolded without its anticipated headliner and produced a new one in Lambourn, who made every yard of the running under a sublime ride from Wayne Lordan to hand Aidan O'Brien his record-extending 11th Derby triumph.
'This is the race every jockey dreams of,' said an emotional Lordan. 'To win it like that, from the front, it's unbelievable. I've waited a long time for this.'
Among Godolphin's remaining hopes, Tornado Alert, trained by renowned Emirati handler Saeed bin Suroor, produced a brave effort to finish sixth.
'I was very pleased with the way Tornado Alert ran,' said Bin Suroor, who won the Derby in 1995 with Lammtarra. 'He showed real heart and handled the ground better than we thought he might. It was a very tough race, and he gave everything out there. I'm proud of him.'
In a sport often defined by decisions and the forces of nature, Godolphin lived both sides of the coin this weekend.
The withdrawal of Ruling Court on welfare grounds may have stung but it underscored a long-term philosophy that was vindicated just hours later, as Sovereignty's storming Belmont success reaffirmed the stable's exceptional depth and judgement.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Top 10 Middle East footballers to watch at the Club World Cup
Top 10 Middle East footballers to watch at the Club World Cup

The National

time7 hours ago

  • The National

Top 10 Middle East footballers to watch at the Club World Cup

The revamped and expanded Fifa Club World Cup may be the biggest chance yet for domestic teams to represent themselves on the global stage. But there will be plenty of national and regional pride at stake, too. Some of the leading players from the Mena region will be vying for attention at the competition in the United States, and they are not solely confined to Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal or the UAE's Al Ain. Here is a selection of outstanding players from the region to look out for this summer. 1). Achraf Hakimi Club: Paris Saint-Germain National team: Morocco Slotted the opening goal in PSG's rout of Inter Milan in the Uefa Champions League final, and was eulogised by many observers as the best right-back in the world. Given's PSG's form, he might expect to go one better than the semi-final exit he managed with the Morocco national team in the Qatar World Cup. 2). Omar Marmoush Club: Manchester City National team: Egypt Scored 15 goals in 17 games in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt before being summoned to City in the January transfer window to try to breathe life into their ailing season. The form of the outgoing English champions did pick up after the arrival of their new Egyptian forward. They may have ended defeated in the FA Cup, but they could make up for that with a trophy in the US. 3). Ali Al Bulayhi Club: Al Hilal National team: Saudi Arabia Makes this list not so much for the merit of his defending as the fact his confrontations with star opponents are usually box office. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Son Hueng-min have all been on the receiving end of the Hilal centre-back's antics. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland had better be ready. 4). Soufiane Rahimi Club: Al Ain National team: Morocco Asia's MVP when he fired Al Ain to the AFC Champions League crown in 2024, and he then top-scored in the Olympics for Morocco, too. The Garden City club have fallen flat in the time since, going through three managers this season. Rahimi's form has coolled, too, but expect him to revel on the big stage in the US. 5). Mehdi Taremi Club: Inter Milan National team: Iran Cut a disconsolate figure as an unused substitute on the bench in Inter Milan's capitulation against PSG in the Uefa Champions League final. The striker, who has been central to Iran's march to World Cup qualification, will be itching to right some wrongs when Inter face Monterrey, Urawa Reds and River Plate. 6). Ramy Bensebaini Club: Borussia Dortmund National team: Algeria The Algerian defender has been deployed on the left side of a three-man defence as Dortmund closed out a largely disappointing season strongly, most notably with a big win away at Bayer Leverkusen. He might not be everybody's cup of tea: German great-turned-pundit Lothar Matthaus has been one outspoken critic. But Bensebaini is valued by his club and is said to have suitors that include Marseille. 7). Brahim Diaz Club: Real Madrid National team: Morocco The dual-national winger was born in Malaga, signed for the Manchester City academy age 16, and plays for Morocco at international level. He will be looking to aid Madrid's bid to complete a Club World Cup and Intercontinental Cup double. 8). Salem Al Dawsari Club: Al Hilal National team: Saudi Arabia An Arabian Gulf great, as a legend of Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team. His finest moment was his goal in their shock win over the eventual champions Argentina in the group phase of the Qatar World Cup. His celebrity has yet to extend too far beyond Asia, though. His one crack at broadening his horizons ended prematurely with an ill-fated loan spell with Villarreal in Spain in 2018. 9). Wessam Abou Ali Club: Al Ahly National team: Palestine Danish-born but proudly Palestinian, he also acknowledges he feels Egyptian now, given how well loved he has become since joining Al Ahly last year. The striker enjoyed an extraordinary 2024, moving from the Swedish lower leagues in January, then becoming the top scorer in Egypt, and contributing to the CAF Champions League win, which qualified Ahly for this tournament. 10). Oussama Idrissi Club: Pachuca National team: Morocco Netherlands-born and raised, but the tricky left-winger had had a good look around since. He represents Morocco at senior level – having previously played for the Dutch age-group sides – and has found his way to Mexico via Spain. He knows what success tastes like in cross-border club competition, too. Idrissi scored a fine goal as Pachuca beat Brazil's Botafogo to reach the 2024 Intercontinental Cup final, where they lost to Real Madrid.

Scheffler sees golf majors like tennis Slams as US Open looms
Scheffler sees golf majors like tennis Slams as US Open looms

Khaleej Times

timea day ago

  • Khaleej Times

Scheffler sees golf majors like tennis Slams as US Open looms

Scottie Scheffler sees golf's major tournaments like Grand Slam tennis championships, with finesse events like the Masters and strength tests like this week's US Open at Oakmont. World number one Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 Masters winner, comes off a victory at last month's PGA Championship and sees new challenges at Oakmont the same way the red clay at Roland Garros offers a different tennis test than a hardcourt US Open. "I kind of equate some of the major tests to the majors in tennis," Scheffler said on Tuesday. "You're playing on a different surface. You've got grass, clay and then the hardcourt and it's a different style of game." Augusta National offers undulating greens but almost no rough to encourage shotmaking, while Oakmont brings a US Open with deep rough, tricky bunkers and fast sloped greens. "The US Open compared to the Masters is a completely different type of test," Scheffler said. "At the Masters you have a lot more shotmaking when you get around the greens because it's a lot of fairway, there's pine straw, there's not really the rough factor. "Then when you get here, it's a lot of hacking out of the rough. You still have to be extremely precise but when you talk about strength and power, that becomes more of a factor at these tournaments because when you hit it in the rough you've got to muscle it out of there." There's no picking one as better or worse than another, just as with the tennis majors. It's a matter of style. "It's just a different type of test than you see at the Masters. Both of them are fantastic tests. I don't know if one of them is better than the other, but they're just different," Scheffler said. "Here, the winning score I don't think is going to be what the winning score was at the Masters." Rory McIlroy won the Masters on 11-under 277 after a playoff with Justin Rose. Expectations are for this week's US Open winner to be lucky to break par for 72 holes. "When you miss the green at the Masters, the ball runs away and it goes into these areas, and you can play a bump, you can play a flop. There's different options," Scheffler said. "Here when you hit the ball over the green, you just get in some heavy rough, and it's like, let me see how I can pop the ball out of this rough and somehow give myself a look." That strength factor is something Scheffler hopes to take advantage of this week as he did by using his shotmaking skills at the Masters. "I'd say there's definitely a strength factor coming out of the rough," Scheffler said of Oakmont. "There's so many bunkers, I don't really know if this is a golf course you can necessarily just overpower with kind of a bomb and gouge type strategy, especially with the way the rough is. "You have to play the angles. Some of the greens are elevated, other ones are pitched extremely away from you."

Players undergoing fertility procedures to get protected ranking, says WTA
Players undergoing fertility procedures to get protected ranking, says WTA

Khaleej Times

timea day ago

  • Khaleej Times

Players undergoing fertility procedures to get protected ranking, says WTA

Female players who choose to undergo a fertility protection procedure will be allowed to take time away from the sport and return to competitive action with a protected ranking, the governing body of women's tennis (WTA) said on Wednesday. The new rule aims to support women athletes to balance their family goals and career ambitions and comes three months after the WTA offered players up to 12 months of paid maternity leave for the first time. "The new rule means that players can now take time away from professional tennis for a fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing and safely return to competition with a protected ranking," the WTA said in a statement. "Eligible players will receive a Special Entry Ranking (SER), which can be used to enter up to three tournaments, based on the 12-week average of their WTA Ranking from eight weeks prior to the start of their out-of-competition period." Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, has previously called for egg freezing to be recognised as a protected ranking activity and called Wednesday's announcement a "ground-breaking" move. "I'm incredibly proud of our sport in recognising the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes. For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex," the former world number three said. "The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves." The WTA also said players will benefit from paid maternity leave and grants for fertility protection through the WTA Maternity Fund sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store