Globetrotting Benbatl to stay closer to home after exhausting year on the road

Benbatl, who was last seen chasing home wondermare Winx in the Cox Plate in Australia last October, could make his return to action in the Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes at Newmarket next week.

The Godolphin-owned five-year-old spent much of 2018 on the road contesting races in Dubai, Germany, Britain and Australia and was successful at Group 1 level three times in the Dubai Turf, Grosser Dallmayr Preis and Ladbrokes Stakes.

However, the exertions of travelling and racing against the likes of Winx prompted trainer Saeed bin Suroor to give Benbatl an extended break to allow him to sufficiently recover, and a target close to home is first on the agenda before another potential race abroad.

“He’s had a break but he worked yesterday and I loved the way he worked,” Bin Suroor said on Wednesday. “He raced here, in Dubai, in Germany and in Australia and while he handled that all very well, you have to give this kind of horse a break. He looks very well now and I’m very pleased.

“He’s entered in the Shadwell Joel Stakes at Newmarket next Friday and I think that’s where we’ll take him. After that, we could go for the Prix Daniel Wildenstein with him over Arc weekend.”

While plans are coming together for Benbatl, there is uncertainty surrounding end-of-season objectives for Thunder Snow after he was forced to miss the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in America last month after spiking a temperature.

Thunder Snow: could miss the Breeders' Cup ClassicCredit: Tom Dulat (Getty Images)

Twice a winner of the Dubai World Cup, Thunder Snow had been under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November, but Bin Suroor is uncertain the five-year-old will make the race that he is a general 10-1 shot for.

He said: “He’s had an easy time and we’ve got him back in full training now but we’re not sure what we’re going to do with him or what his future is. After the easy time we’ve given him I’d say it [the Breeders’ Cup] is unlikely.

“We need to speak to Sheikh Mohammed about his programme for this year but if he was happy we could take him back to Dubai for the World Cup and a couple of races before then."

As Bin Suroor makes plans for his stable stars, the trainer expressed his own admiration for Godolphin's latest poster boy Pinatubo, who romped to victory at the Curragh on Sunday for Charlie Appleby.

"I was very happy to see him win," Bin Suroor said. "He’s a class horse and I’m looking forward to seeing him in big races in the future. It’s exciting for horseracing to see a horse win races like that and he has a big future."

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