Godolphin fields a quartet of entries in the newly upgraded G3 Singspiel S. on opening day of the Dubai World Cup Carnival. Saeed bin Suroor will saddle G3 Hampton Court S. hero Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has been off since a sixth-place run in the G3 32Red Mile in September, as well as GSP Carry On Deryck (GB) (Halling) in the 1800-metre test.
Benbatl, who only has one year of racing under his belt, also rolled a pair of fifths on either side of his Hampton Court win, first in the Blue Riband at Epsom in early June and to Cartier Horse of the Year Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot in July.
Charlie Appleby's Emotionless (Ire) (Shamardal) makes his first start since he ran third in the G2 Dubai City Of Gold S. on Super Saturday last March. The freshly minted 5-year-old, who won the G2 Champagne S. at two, is joined by Bay of Poets (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a French listed winner, whose most recent piece of form is a forth in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange over 10 furlongs on Sept. 16.
Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal) represents the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and Roger Varian axis and is trying group company for the first time. Off the mark at Newmarket at second asking in October of 2016, the chestnut returned on Sept. 8 and added a score going a mile at Ascot. He ran third in the Listed Prix Le Fabuleux at Chantilly on Oct. 7 most recently.
“He's lightly raced, but he's a horse we've always held in quite high regard,” trainer Roger Varian told the Meydan notes team. “He's got to step up on the level of form he's shown so far, but if he can do it, he will be a horse who could be good enough to still be here in March.”
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