G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes success for Best Solution

Improving four-year-old Best Solution made the perfect start to his European season with a brave victory in the 12-furlong G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, the feature contest of day one of Newmarket’s July Festival, UK, on Thursday, 12 July.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Kodiac colt, having his first outing since finishing fifth to another Godolphin runner Hawkbill in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night, raced in fifth of the seven-strong field under Pat Cosgrave. 

He travelled strongly into the race three furlongs out and quickened between runners to hit the front after the quarter-mile pole.

Best Solution pulled out more when strongly pressed by the rallying Mirage Dancer and Duretto inside the final furlong and stayed on strongly all the way to the line.

He beat Mirage Dancer by half a length in 2m 31.40s on ground described as good to firm, with Duretto a further neck back in third. 

Saeed bin Suroor commented afterwards: “Best Solution ran well to win on his European return.

“The options are now open for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1, 12f, Ascot, 28 July), the Irish St Leger (14f, G1, the Curragh, 16 September)) and all 12f plus G1s including the Melbourne Cup (G1, 2m, Flemington, November 6).

“He is tough – we gave him a break after he ran four times in Dubai early in the year and that has helped him – the ground was too fast for him in Dubai – he usually prefers good to soft. Today’s course was well watered and Pat Cosgrave said the ground was good and would be OK for the horse.

“We missed Royal Ascot with Best Solution and today’s race has been the target for some time.

“He has been working really well in the mornings and was in good physical and mental condition, improving from last year.

“I told Pat not to rush early in the race and just try and keep Best Solution happy and relaxed. Pat knows the horse really well, having won on him before. 

“Best Solution has won well today and I would expect the horse to come on for the race. I thought he was going to win from a furlong out and I am happy with him.

“We are always looking to try and win G1 races although it is nice to win a G2. Best Solution is entered in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Juddmonte International (G1 10f, York, 22 August). I think races over a mile and a half or further suit him best and the race for him could be the Irish St Leger. We will talk to Sheikh Mohammed, see how Best Solution comes back after the race and make a decision.

“We could take him to Australia for the Melbourne Cup – mile and a half Group winners run well in the Melbourne Cup as we have seen in the past.

“It is good that Sheikh Mohammed and his daughter are here today.” 

Pat Cosgrave said: “Best Solution is a lovely horse and has been very good to me over the last two seasons – I have won a Derby Trial, a G3 at Newbury and also a race in Dubai on him.

“He seems to be getting more versatile with regards to the ground. We used to think he wanted really soft ground, but he has won on good ground today. He progressed through the winter in Dubai and has carried on doing so.

“I think there is a G1 win in him somewhere. He was fifth in the Dubai Sheema Classic behind Hawkbill. That was a top-class race and he wasn’t beaten far.

“He quickened up off the pace today. He is a better horse with something to aim at. If anything, I got there a bit too soon today, but he was going well three furlongs out and I thought I would try and kill the race when I could. He was very gutsy today.

“As he gets older and more race hardened, he seems to be able to handle any sort of conditions. He is becoming a nice staying horse.

“The King George is going to be a lot tougher race, with the best three-year-olds and older horses and it usually takes a champion to win it. Maybe the Irish St Leger could be the race for Best Solution as I will be able to ride him quietly and use his turn of foot against the two-milers. I will leave it up to Saeed to decide.

“He got the mile and a half well today and the Melbourne Cup could be a possibility as he has shown he can handle different types of ground. He is going to be a contender wherever he goes next.”