The royal blue silks of Godolphin are among the most recognisable racing colours on British shores. From the dominance of Saeed bin Suroor in the 1990s to the exploits of current number one trainer Charlie Appleby, the Maktoum family-owned operation has been amongst the most regular visitors to the winner’s enclosure in British Group 1 events.
2024 has continued this trend, with the powerful owner/breeder grabbing the 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes with their star three-year-old colt, Notable Speech. UK racing fans certainly won’t have missed the impressive victories by the son of Godolphin super sire Dubawi, but those two successes are only two of 15 Group/Grade 1 wins picked up by Godolphin thus far in 2024.
An International Success Story
One of the most notable features of the Godolphin ethos is a determination to target the biggest races, wherever they happen to be held. Underpinning that strategy is a partnership with trainers in the UK, US, UAE, and Australia. Powered by the enviable power of the breeding side of the business, these relationships invariably bear significant fruit.
Heading into August 2024, Measured Time and Rebel’s Romance had struck Group 1 gold in the UAE; Cylinder, Zapateo, Cascadian, and Broadsiding (twice) had scored at the top level in Australia; Rebel’s Romance and Lemon Pop grabbed the yen in Japanese Group 1 events, and Master Of The Seas, Measured Time, and Cinderella’s Dream all lit up stateside tracks on route to Grade 1 triumph. Sunday, 11th of August, then saw another Godolphin star add his name to the list by claiming one of the most famous races on the other side of the Atlantic.
Arlington Million a Huge Draw
First run in 1981, and awarded Grade 1 status just two years later, due to the quality of horses it attracted, the Arlington Million is one of the most coveted US prizes outside of the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup contests. As the title suggests, the 1m2f contest offers a handsome $1million in total prize money – 60% of which is earmarked for the winner.
Combine Grade 1 prestige with a huge purse, and a quality international field is all but guaranteed: Luca Cumani, André Fabre, John Hammond, John Gosden, and Aidan O’Brien have all returned home with the loot, whilst Godolphin won the race twice with Santin (2022) and Sulamani (2003). However, despite his huge global success, including at the Breeders’ Cup Meeting, Charlie Appleby had yet to claim this prize.
Buick Strikes for Boys in Blue
Appleby and Godolphin may have been beginning to feel the pressure heading into the 2024 edition of the Arlington Million, with the well-fancied Mischief Magic (Van Clief Stakes) disappointing earlier on the card. With Ottoman Fleet and Legend Of Time having also come up short in their Grade 1 assignments at Saratoga, the yard required a winner.
Step forward William Buick and Nations Pride. Showing his trademark cool in the saddle, Buick paid little heed to outsider Sugoi, who set off like a bat out of hell to move fully eight lengths clear at the 4f pole. Biding his time in third – just off the more sensibly ridden Talk Of The Nation – Buick gradually wound Nations Pride up to move second on the home turn as the field swept past the long-time leader.
From there, there was only one winner. Nations Pride travelling much the best and quickening up to score by a comfortable 1¾l.
Godolphin Globetrotter Par Excellence
Beginning his racing career in 2021, Nations Pride has raced five times on British soil. The pick of those efforts came when claiming the Listed Newmarket Stakes, but his sole Group 1 assignment saw him finish only eighth behind Desert Crown in the 2022 Derby.
The good-looking son of Teofilo has fared better on the international stage. Much better. Now successful at the highest level in Germany, Canada, and the USA, the five-year-old boasts the following victories on an increasingly impressive CV:
- Saratoga Derby (2022)
- Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2023)
- Canadian International (2023)
- Arlington Million (2024)
Throw in that Listed success at Newmarket, Group 3 triumphs in the US and UAE, and total prize money of £2.7m, and it’s fair to say that Nations Pride belongs amongst the elite international horses on the planet. The Breeders’ Cup Turf may be next on the agenda, with his Arlington Million victory guaranteeing him a stall at the November highlight should Appleby opt to tackle that assignment.
