Godolphin

Euronymous

Euronymous

Senior Jockey
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
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Have they ever been as bad as they are right now?

Tomorrow they have Cavalryman taking on Duncan in the first at Goodwood.

What the hell has happened to Rewllding? The Gordon Stakes was made for that horse.

That's it, two noteworthy horses. One of whom is only noteworthy for being ruined by them. What is going on?
 
Isn't this thread repeated every year?!

They are an absolute joke of an organisation. They've got two or three nice two year olds but otherwise, they seem to just be content with winning pissy conditions races.

The rumours seem to get stronger all the time that Suroor is closer to the door.
 
I think it's very sad for Sheikh Mohammed the money he puts into racing world wide, he deserves better - send them back to Henry Cecil.
 
Better off sending them all to Fabre - they have one of if not the best trainer in the world training some of their horses and the moment he gets a good one they take it away.

Just look at what's happened to Rewilding, Anna Salai, Cavalryman, Cutlas Bay, Flying Cloud etc. since leaving Fabre. Rewilding has done ok with his Derby run and Predominate win but no entries since.

That said Godolphin is about promoting the interests of Dubai and the global picture - they had a stakes winner at Saratoga a few days ago in the shape of Vineyard Haven and Peter Snowden seems to be doing well with the Australian horses they have.
 
Irish Stamp said:
That said Godolphin is about promoting the interests of Dubai
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Improving the image of Dubai would be a start. It's a total hole built by slave labour with contradicting draconian laws for visitors and on top of that, it's majorly up it's own arse.

Desperate place.
 
I am not surprised they had to give Rewilding a break - I thought he looked so hard trained for the Derby that it was unlikely that he would progress quickly from it.
 
swedish chef said:
I think it's very sad for Sheikh Mohammed the money he puts into racing world wide, he deserves better - send them back to Henry Cecil.
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Why is it sad for Sheikh Mohammed? Surely he calls the shots and makes the decisions? If he was that disatisfied with Suroor, he should have got rid years ago. Perhaps that is his plan all along with bringing in Al Zarooni but I'd wager that knowing a little about the inside workings of the setup that there are others responsible for the running of the yard rather than those whose name appears as the trainer.
 
Sad isn't it? Horses and the facilities, money ... what's new?
Just who did the training back in the day & who's been doing it the last 3 years.
Not rocket science, is it.
 
Well Rick Mette is training a stack of horses for them in the US and doing very well out of it 360 Degrees, plenty of winners for Godolphin at Saratoga last year, Grade 1's, stakes etc.

I expect more of the same this years whilst Jeremy Noseda, Kiaran McLaughlin and Tom Albertrani all of whom are now top trainers in their own right.

No idea of the staffing at Godolphin in Newmarket at the moment but as Jinnyj says it's about getting the right team together.
 
Godolphin also had a stack of winners in England last August at the same time as Saratoga was running.Whatever about the amount of winners they are having in America or Australia they aren't having enough winners at the highest level.
 
Group 1 winners by year

2010 - 3
2009 - 13
2008 - 8 (3 of which were by Music Note)
2007 - 6 (3 by Ramonti)
2006 - 8
2005 - 9
2004 - 11
2003 - 9
2002 - 16
2001 - 15
2000 - 11
1999 - 18
1998 - 12
1997 - 1
1996 - 7
1995 - 12
1994 - 3

On the big winners front Godolphin had their best year since 2002 last season.

It should also be noted that Godolphin didn't win a G1 race until the first weekend in August last season so you could say they're ahead of schedule.
 
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Irish Stamp said:
Well Rick Mette is training a stack of horses for them in the US and doing very well out of it 360 Degrees, plenty of winners for Godolphin at Saratoga last year, Grade 1's, stakes etc.

I expect more of the same this years whilst Jeremy Noseda, Kiaran McLaughlin and Tom Albertrani all of whom are now top trainers in their own right.

No idea of the staffing at Godolphin in Newmarket at the moment but as Jinnyj says it's about getting the right team together.
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Rick is a really really nice guy but he was never a great trainer while I was out there however give him some decent horses and he wins with them - so why are Godolphin getting it so badly wrong over here?
 
Might it be that UK racing is no longer the priority it once was, and an increasing share of their best horses are being sent to be trained elsewhere?
 
I think that racing is as much as priority as ever with Godolphin. It's in attempting to expand to dominate on a global basis that has spread them too thin and too inefficiently. And what they try to do 'in house' is never quite as good as when they put their horses with trainers who actually know what they're doing.
 
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We seem to have the same conversation each year - I think that the appointment of al zarooni is relevant - I have noticed that Frankie has been riding for him quite a lot (that is when is he is not riding the sheik hamden bin mohammed horses..............
 
jinnyj said:
Why is it sad for Sheikh Mohammed? Surely he calls the shots and makes the decisions? If he was that disatisfied with Suroor, he should have got rid years ago. Perhaps that is his plan all along with bringing in Al Zarooni but I'd wager that knowing a little about the inside workings of the setup that there are others responsible for the running of the yard rather than those whose name appears as the trainer.
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Either way in my opinion he deserves better results for the money he puts into racing world wide.
 
If I were him, I'd do away with Godolphin and running horses in all these other names (Princess Haya, and all 376 sons' colours), put all the horses back into the famous Maroon and White Sheikh Mohammed colours (such a shame they're no longer seen here) and have a team of 10 or so of the best trainers around. Sir Michael Stoute, Richard Hannon, Mark Johnston, Henry Cecil, Barry Hills, Richard Fahey, John Gosden, Michael Jarvis, Luca Cumani and Michael Bell - or something along those lines. I'm not sure how many horses he'd have if you added up Godolphin and all the other names he runs horses in, but no doubt they'd each have loads and that's the way I think he'd get the best results. I would do the same in France, USA, Australia, Japan, Dubai, South Africa and wherever else he's got horses - small bunch of top trainers in Sheikh Mo's own colours. I'm not Sheikh Mohammed though and never will be.
 
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I'm not sure it is entirely down to the training. The amount of money they go through at the sales you would think they would have horses that regardless of how they are trained would still show more on the racecourse due to natural ability. The problem maybe the horses they are buying. Obviously it doesn't help having the Coolmore embargo in place but I'm still sure there are plenty of good horses to be had from different breeding lines.
 
Chabal back out tonight in class 3 condition stakes at newmarket (7.50)
Another of their expensive purchases that they've ruined
 
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