Godolphin seek further Newmarket maiden glory with Telecaster's half-brother

Godolphin stables have established a fantastic record in Friday’s Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket so there ought to be plenty of interest in this year’s runner Al Suhail.

Jockey James Doyle is actually seeking his fourth victory in a row in the seven-furlong event, having combined with both Charlie Appleby and Saeed Bin Suroor to fine effect. In 2016 it came through Dubai Hero, a 100,000gns Dark Angel who only made the track once more, while 12 months later it was Being There, a much-vaunted €1,400,000 son of Dubai and Beauty Parlour from the Wildenstein dispersal.

He sadly proved a disappointment in a handful of subsequent efforts but the same could not be said for last year’s hero, 300,000gns Dubawi colt Al Hilalee, who rose to Group 2 level in last month’s Prix Hocquart.

It is Appleby and Doyle who combine this time with another Dubawi newcomer who comes with a significant pedigree update for this year. Al Suhail cost 1,100,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1 because of his Meon Valley Stud dam Shirocco Star, who was beaten only a neck by Was in the 2012 Investec Oaks.

Shirocco Star’s first two foals both won at York in May, and with all due respect to impressive handicap scorer Starcaster, it was his New Approach half-brother Telecaster who made the headlines by beating Too Darn Hot in the Dante.

Telecaster is now on a recovery mission after disappointing efforts in the Derby and Eclipse but it would be no surprise to see his sibling opening his account here.

Al Madhar, a 200,000gns Siyouni colt for Richard Hannon, another trainer who has a good record in this race, is another obvious candidate among the newcomers while Kipling, a Galileo brother to Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Kipling, and John Gosden’s Godolphin-owned Exceed And Excel colt Mass Media, have shown ability on the track already.

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