Thursday 21st May 2009
Donativum returns to Newmarket
Frankie Dettori rides Donativum in King Charles II Stakes on Saturday
TRAINER Saeed bin Suroor is keen to see how Donativum fares on his Godolphin debut as the gelding gets his three-year-old campaign underway in the Listed £40,000 King Charles II Stakes (2.50pm) at Newmarket on Saturday, May 23.
The son of Cadeaux Genereux joined the Maktoum family’s racing operation following a sparkling juvenile campaign with John Gosden that included a stunning half-length victory over Crowded House in the inaugural Tattersalls Timeform Million at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Meeting on October 4.
He followed up that success with another fine victory just three weeks later, when he got the better of Westphalia in the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, USA.
The Godolphin handler commented today: “Donativum spent the winter in Dubai and he has been working nicely recently. I have been happy with his preparation and we will start him off in a Listed contest before deciding where to go with him.
“Running over seven furlongs is a good distance to begin his season over and he will step up to a mile afterwards. I think he will be fine on the good to firm ground but he hasn’t raced since October, so he will come on for his first start of the year.
“I am looking forward to seeing him in action and I am hopeful that he will run well on Saturday.”
The King Charles II Stakes has proved a useful trial for the Jersey Stakes, with both Jeremy (2006) and Tariq (2007) having gone on to victory in the Group Three Royal Ascot contest.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Jeremy progressed to finish a short-head behind Ramonti in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes the following year, while Tariq followed up his victories at Newmarket and Royal Ascot with success in the Group Two Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood for trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam.
Saturday’s other Listed contest is the £40,000 Spillers Horse Feeds Fairway Stakes (2.20pm), which has attracted a high-class field of six. Your Old Pal, from the stable of Jeremy Noseda,and the John Dunlop-trained Palavicini will line up on the Rowley Mile once more, having fought out a thrilling finish to the Listed stanjames.com Newmarket Stakes on May 2.
The Fairway Stakes has also been won by some very promising three-year-olds in recent seasons, including David Junior (2005), who returned to Newmarket to land the Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes.
Winning trainer Brian Meehan subsequently saddled Red Rocks to victory in the 10-furlong contest in 2006, and the Pleasant Tap colt progressed to Grade One success in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Grade One Man O’War Stakes, while Lucarno followed up his Fairway Stakes win in 2007 with a triumph in the Group One St Leger in September.
Newmarket also races on Friday, May 22, and Sunday, May 24, with a seven-race card on both days.
