Saeed bin Suroor reflects on Godolphin success in Japan

Fine Needle’s recent victory in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the first locally-based Godolphin runner to win a G1 race in Japan, evoked memories of the worldwide operation’s previous successes in the country with Heart Lake and Annus Mirablilis.

Both horses were trained by Saeed bin Suroor, with four-year-old Nureyev colt Heart Lake gaining a breakthrough Godolphin victory in Japan when becoming the first international runner to capture the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on 14 May, 1995.

Heart Lake returned to Tokyo in 1996 to capture the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup, while Annus Mirabilis, a four-year-old son of Warning, also triumphed at G2 level in Tokyo the same year with a comfortable win in the Mainichi-Okan.

Saeed bin Suroor commented, “We have won some nice races in Japan in the past and I was very pleased to see Godolphin have another G1 victory in the country with Fine Needle.

“Heart Lake’s victory came on a very good day for myself and Godolphin, as we also won the French 2,000 Guineas with Vettori and the Premio Presidente Della Repubblica in Italy with Flagbird.

“Winning three G1 races in three different countries was a special day for myself and the whole team.

“Annus Mirabilis was another important international horse for Godolphin as he ran in nine different countries, winning in Japan and the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba, Dubai.”

Several other Saeed bin Suroor-trained runners for Godolphin have performed admirably in Japan’s premier contests including Diktat, who stayed on strongly to take second behind Hong Kong champion Fairy King Prawn in the 2000 renewal of the Yasuda Kinen.

So Factual took third in the G1 Sprinters’ Stakes in 1995, while top middle-distance performers High-Rise and Fantastic Light both finished third in the country’s top international race, the G1 Japan Cup, in 1999 and 2000 respectively.

The trainer added: “Japan has some of the best racing in the world and it is important to see Godolphin horses performing well on the international stage.

“We have always been received very well in the country and the people love their racing. We have always supported racing in Japan and I hope to see plenty more Godolphin winners in the country over the coming years.

“The Japan Cup is one of the world’s top races and we have gone close to winning it with High-Rise and Fantastic Light. We will keep trying and hopefully we can find the right horse to win the race in the future.”