Hoppegarten and Deauville winners promise more success to come

There can be no underestimating the importance of planning for the future, especially in racing. Major targets are rarely achieved as impromptu gestures.

It was therefore pleasing for Godolphin to see wins in Germany and France for two young horses, who continue show glimpses of becoming significant success stories, in the short and long term.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor sent Best Solution to Sunday’s G1 Grosser Preis Von Berlin at Hoppegarten in an attempt to establish the four-year-old’s credentials for a visit to Australia later in the year.

By circumstance, the son of Kodiac turned in a performance to suggest he would not only measure up to the class required for such an assignment, but also have the courage to cope with the different style of racing Down Under.

Best Solution missed the break, meaning he found himself last in the run to the first turn. Even at the top of the home straight, he was giving the leader eight lengths.

Yet, he knuckled down to the task well, and finished powerfully to beat Sound Check and Royal Youmzain by a neck and half a length. It was an eye-catching run that hinted at even better to come.

Saeed said: “We have been looking at the G1 Caulfield and G1 Melbourne Cups, but His Highness Sheikh Mohammed will decide.”

On Saturday, Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby sent out Loxley to win the Listed Prix Nureyev at Deauville by an impressive three lengths.

The drop back to 2,000m was appreciated by the three-year-old son of New Approach, who led home a Godolphin 1-2-3 by defeating Mind Mapping and Zaman.

Appleby said Loxley would now be aimed at the G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp next month. “He is still growing up, but he could develop into a nice horse in time,” the trainer added.

The weekend at Deauville belonged to the brilliant three-year-old filly Alpha Centauri, who powered away from her rivals to land the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, while in Chicago, the G1 Arlington Million was lifted by Chilean-bred Robert Bruce, a son of Darley stallion Fast Company.