Local Time On To UAE Oaks After Winning Guineas

Local Time, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by James Doyle, impressed when beating stable companion Good Place (Adrie de Vries) in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas Sponsored By Nova An IPIC Powered Company over a mile on dirt at Meydan, UAE on Thursday, February 5.

The three-year-old Invincible Spirit filly, winning her fifth race in succession, will go for the Group Three UAE Oaks over another one and a half furlongs on February 26 if coming out of this victory well.

She broke smartly from stall five and raced a close second on the outside before disputing the lead turning in.

Local Time hit the front just before straightening up and was asked to put daylight between herself and the other five runners.

She did exactly that and was always in command under a hands and heels ride, with James Doyle able to ease down in the closing stages to triumph by three and a quarter lengths in 1m 39.69s.

Street Cry filly Good Place was slightly slow into stride and raced in last and then second last before keeping on to gain second.

The third Godolphin runner, Yodelling (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), was held up in fifth before trying to challenge wide in the straight, finishing fourth, and is likely to benefit from the extra distance in the UAE Oaks.

Saeed bin Suroor commented: "Both Local Time and Good Place will head to the UAE Oaks and we will find out more about them then."

James Doyle said: "I was pleased with Local Time. I rode her a few times in England last year.

"She has done well out here. I think the surface is a big help to her - she really grabs the dirt and seems to like it. Of the ones I have ridden, she has definitely liked the surface by far the best.

"I thought she needed the race last time and that win certainly brought her forward. If we head to the UAE Oaks, it will be going a bit into the unknown distance-wise.

"She has got a lot of speed but she was not stopping in this race, is very relaxed and has taken to the dirt so well."

Godolphin has won the UAE 1000 Guineas 11 times now, thanks to Muwakleh (2001), Infinite Spirit (2002), Mezzo Soprano (2003), Catstar (2004), Satin Kiss (2005), Cocoa Beach (2008), Siyaadah (2010), Gamilati (2012), Lovely Pass (2013), Ihtimal (2014) and Local Time.