G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud bid by Shoot For Gold

Impressive recent winner Shoot For Gold is out to try and provide Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor with a second two-year-old G1 prize in France this year in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud on Saturday, 27 October. 

The Sea The Stars colt, partnered by Christophe Soumillon for the first time and drawn six, moves up to a mile and a quarter, having forged clear in the closing stages to score easily by seven lengths in a mile novice contest at Windsor on 8 October. 

Shoot For Gold finished fifth after missing the break on debut in a similar race over seven furlongs at Newbury on 22 September. 

The field of 10 for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud also features G1 Fillies’ Mile fourth Shambolic, Listed Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes winner Norway and G2 Royal Lodge Stakes second Sydney Opera House. 

Saeed bin Suroor, who sent out Royal Marine to win the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on 7 October, commented: “Shoot For Gold is a nice colt, who has improved with every start and won well at Windsor.

“He has shown some class in his work and we would prefer some ease in the ground, although good going will be fine for him. 

“He is ready to go again and the step up to 10 furlongs should suit.”

Elsewhere on the same card, Jimmy Two Times goes for a third Pattern race success over a mile at Saint-Cloud in the G3 Prix Perth, a race which also includes two more Godolphin runners, Graphite and Wootton. 

Five-year-old Jimmy Two Times (Andre Fabre/Vincent Cheminaud, drawn six) captured both the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc and the G2 Prix du Muguet over the course and distance last year and was sixth in the seven-furlong G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on 7 October. 

Graphite (Andre Fabre/Pierre-Charles Boudot, drawn seven) came home fifth in the mile G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp on 6 October, with the four-year-old son of Shamardal having gained a short-head success over the same trip in the G3 Prix Quincey at Deauville in August. 

Three-year-old colt Wootton (Henri-Alex Pantall/Mickael Barzalona, drawn two) has also scored at G3 level over a mile, gamely taking the Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp in April, came third in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and finished eighth over the same course and distance in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September. 

The Godolphin trio oppose four rivals in the Prix Perth – Newbury Listed winner Mankib, German G3 scorer Peace In Motion, Prix Quincey fifth Enlighted and Auenperle. 

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin commented: “Jimmy Two Times is coming into this race in good form and his run in the Prix de la Foret puts him in with a decent chance. 

“He has run very well over the course and distance before and deserves to get his head in front again.

“Graphite is a very consistent horse and should run another good race, although the penalty for his victory in the Prix Quincey doesn’t help his chances. 

“Wootton is a colt with a lot of quality, but things just haven’t gone his way this year. It is hard to be confident, but he should have conditions to suit.”