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Another bright start to the season following the excellent runs of Ibn Khaldun and Laureldean Gale in the Classics.
This shipping horses to Dubai for the winter looks an excellent idea. By August they have recovered sufficiently to win races.
This shipping horses to Dubai for the winter looks an excellent idea. By August they have recovered sufficiently to win races.
I hear they already have a nice conditions race lined up for Literato at Jebel Ali in August. You will be eating humble pie when he scoots home in that one, Smithy…
They will just resort to buying the winners instead
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Another bright start to the season following the excellent runs of Ibn Khaldun and Laureldean Gale in the Classics.
This shipping horses to Dubai for the winter looks an excellent idea. By August they have recovered sufficiently to win races.
I’m not sure the facts bear out your heavy irony. With 9 winners of early season classics (French, English and Irish) amongst the 23 listed on the Godolphin website, they have in fact a pretty good record over time.
Having said which, something is clearly going wrong, when slews of high-class two-year-olds (their own as well as the bought-in ones) so consistently underachieve at three. And currently their famed strength in depth in the older divisions is also in eclipse. It’s all rather baffling.
The great Evry Academy under David Loder proved to be a costly misjudgement, and Godolphin’s refocussing on USA and Dubai racing has maybe taken Sheikh Mohammed’s keen eye off the European ball. Maybe other European trainers are adopting Godolphin methods, or getting better at keeping their really good two-year-olds in the closet until Spring.
Is it impossible to give every horse focussed attention with such large strings? Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, to name only the most obvious example, would seem to offer counter-evidence.
Simon Crisford’s job must surely be getting somewhere near the line: though he still radiates a sense of smug complacency (at least in his public pronouncements) which suggests otherwise.
A change of trainer at the helm would be the penny-in-the-slot solution, but as I have read glowing remarks about Saeed bin Suroor’s abilities from knowledgeable racing professionals who at least seem to have no self-interest to protect, I can only assume he is not a cause of the current malaise.
I’d be interested to know how other members feel about these two key Godolphin team members. Or is the core problem the evident fact that the organisation seems to be essentially a one-man band, with everyone second-guessing Sheikh Mohammed’s wishes and unable to take initiatives without his active involvement?
It’s easy to point the finger and come up with rationalisations of Godolphin’s decline, but in the face of Coolmore’s evidently growing success, what do members believe the difference is between the two?
Personally I welcome the fact that the Godolphin operation is poor and it IS when you look at the resources they have / have had.
Set up permanant base in Newmarket, stop buying off other people (seemingly) every decent prospect they can, then I’ll get off their back.
Alternatively go off to the states and do what they like over there. I hear the prize money is good Sheikh Mo and there’s plenty of sand for the horses to run on. Am I tempting you?
This shipping horses to Dubai for the winter looks an excellent idea.
It certainly used to do so in the early days of the operation. Their horses arrived fit and well and ready to run for their lives. Something has changed but I wouldn’t know what it is.
Personally I welcome the fact that the Godolphin operation is poor and it IS when you look at the resources they have / have had.
Set up permanant base in Newmarket, stop buying off other people (seemingly) every decent prospect they can, then I’ll get off their back.
Alternatively go off to the states and do what they like over there. I hear the prize money is good Sheikh Mo and there’s plenty of sand for the horses to run on. Am I tempting you?
I think Flash hates any foreigners with money.
Where is the consistancy in your arguement Flash? Without consistancy it just sounds like an anti-arab stance.
Nicholls and Clive Smith have bought extremely promising horses from France. Kauto Star and Master Minded. Was that wrong? Using your arguement those horses should have stayed in France. No doubt some of our freinds over the channel feel the same way about PN and CS, as you do about Sheikh Mo.
Do you want a monopoly for Coolmore over here if the arabs go elsewhere?
Do you want a poorer quality of racing? With all the well bred animals of Sheikh Mo and co going elsewhere it will inevitably lead to a loss in quality.
Think things through mate.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingI think if Godolphin was dispanded and horses were kept by their original trainers, they probably would win more races. But that is up to them.
As a gambler I love this anti-Godolphin stance of many punters. Come the summer I can get some good prices about some of their horses.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingPinza,
I am fully aware of their record in the past, but the last few years have been pitiful given the strength of the horses at their disposal.
I don’t mind who they buy, how many they buy, or where they buy, but it would be nice to see them maximise the potential of more than two or three of the hundreds of horses under their care.
Never mind Crisford or Bin Suroor – how John Ferguson retains his position is one of life’s great mysteries.
I think if Godolphin was dispanded and horses were kept by their original trainers, they probably would win more races. But that is up to them.
As a gambler I love this anti-Godolphin stance of many punters. Come the summer I can get some good prices about some of their horses.
Ginge
Also as a gambler, I too can get good prices on some of their horses. However, as a racing fan, when horses you look forward to seeing the following year disappear to the desert and come back a shadow of their former self, I think there is reason to have an anti-Godolphin stance.
Personally I welcome the fact that the Godolphin operation is poor and it IS when you look at the resources they have / have had.
Set up permanant base in Newmarket, stop buying off other people (seemingly) every decent prospect they can, then I’ll get off their back.
Alternatively go off to the states and do what they like over there. I hear the prize money is good Sheikh Mo and there’s plenty of sand for the horses to run on. Am I tempting you?
I think Flash hates any foreigners with money.
Where is the consistancy in your arguement Flash? Without consistancy it just sounds like an anti-arab stance.
Nicholls and Clive Smith have bought extremely promising horses from France. Kauto Star and Master Minded. Was that wrong? Using your arguement those horses should have stayed in France. No doubt some of our freinds over the channel feel the same way about PN and CS, as you do about Sheikh Mo.
Do you want a monopoly for Coolmore over here if the arabs go elsewhere?
Do you want a poorer quality of racing? With all the well bred animals of Sheikh Mo and co going elsewhere it will inevitably lead to a loss in quality.
Think things through mate.
Ginge
How is it an anti arab stance? You will have me down as a white supremacist next.
Is Prince Khalid foreign? Is Sheikh Hamdan? Is Sheikh Ahmed? Do I have anything against any of them?
Well actually yes I was critical of Sheikh Hamdan for not aiming Nashwan and Salsabil at their respective Triple Crown’s but other than that, no.
I think you’ve tried to convince yourself of something to make a point. Unfortunately it is redundant as you are innacurate with your pressumption.
My opinion?
Their heart is not in the game.
Such brilliant bloodstock turned to waste too many times.
Boscobel
Creachadoir
Dandy Man
Etched
Fast Company
Gothenburg
Il Warrd
Literato
McCartney
River Tiber
Sagara
Schiaparelli
Silkwood
West WindWhat do we expect from these?
Personally I welcome the fact that the Godolphin operation is poor and it IS when you look at the resources they have / have had.
Set up permanant base in Newmarket, stop buying off other people (seemingly) every decent prospect they can, then I’ll get off their back.
Alternatively go off to the states and do what they like over there. I hear the prize money is good Sheikh Mo and there’s plenty of sand for the horses to run on. Am I tempting you?
I think Flash hates any foreigners with money.
Where is the consistancy in your arguement Flash? Without consistancy it just sounds like an anti-arab stance.
Nicholls and Clive Smith have bought extremely promising horses from France. Kauto Star and Master Minded. Was that wrong? Using your arguement those horses should have stayed in France. No doubt some of our freinds over the channel feel the same way about PN and CS, as you do about Sheikh Mo.
Do you want a monopoly for Coolmore over here if the arabs go elsewhere?
Do you want a poorer quality of racing? With all the well bred animals of Sheikh Mo and co going elsewhere it will inevitably lead to a loss in quality.
Think things through mate.
Ginge
How is it an anti arab stance? You will have me down as a white supremacist next.
Is Prince Khalid foreign? Is Sheikh Hamdan? Is Sheikh Ahmed? Do I have anything against any of them?
Well actually yes I was critical of Sheikh Hamdan for not aiming Nashwan and Salsabil at their respective Triple Crown’s but other than that, no.
I think you’ve tried to convince yourself of something to make a point. Unfortunately it is redundant as you are innacurate with your pressumption.
I note Flash, you have for the second time totally ignored my main question.
If it is wrong for Godolphin to take horses away, why have you not criticised Nicholls and Smith?And I said it sounds like, not is anti-arab.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingGinge Nicholls and Smith didn’t take away horses that were in training in Britain and had bright futures ahead for their owners and trainers. Godolphin do exactly that. Nicholls and Smith pick up unknowns (and thats what they are to most of us over here) from France. There is a huge difference between the two IMO.
When Henrietta Knight (for example) runs a horse in a Novice hurdle and it wins by 25 lengths Nicholls and Smith don’t go and snatch it do they?
The anti Arab thing – I ain’t even going there.
Ginge Nicholls and Smith didn’t take away horses that were in training in Britain and had bright futures ahead for their owners and trainers. Godolphin do exactly that. Nicholls and Smith pick up unknowns (and thats what they are to most of us over here) from France. There is a huge difference between the two IMO.
When Henrietta Knight (for example) runs a horse in a Novice hurdle and it wins by 25 lengths Nicholls and Smith don’t go and snatch it do they?
The anti Arab thing – I ain’t even going there.
They might be unknown to you Flash,
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Kauto Star had won the Group 3 Prix de Longchamp in May 04 on his final start in France.
Master Minded was unbeaten in his completed starts as a four year old before starting odds on in the Group 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure.
Hardly unknowns Flash, not a "big difference" at all.
So it is o.k. to take excellant prospects away from foreigners but not poor British trainers?Seems a bit hypocritical to me Flash, that’s all.
Ginge
Value Is EverythingGinge Nicholls and Smith didn’t take away horses that were in training in Britain and had bright futures ahead for their owners and trainers. Godolphin do exactly that. Nicholls and Smith pick up unknowns (and thats what they are to most of us over here) from France. There is a huge difference between the two IMO.
When Henrietta Knight (for example) runs a horse in a Novice hurdle and it wins by 25 lengths Nicholls and Smith don’t go and snatch it do they?
The anti Arab thing – I ain’t even going there.
They might be unknown to you Flash,
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Kauto Star had won the Group 3 Prix de Longchamp in May 04 on his final start in France.
Master Minded was unbeaten in his completed starts as a four year old before starting odds on in the Group 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure.
Hardly unknowns Flash.
So it is o.k. to take excellant prospects away from foreigners but not poor British trainers?Ginge
They are total unknowns in terms of British racing. I think the situations are completely different. Perhaps its just me?
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