Saeed Bin Suroor Rolls Back The Years With Gold Cup Winner Dubai Future

[Wandering Eyes]

The Godolphin-owned Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) rolled back the years in more ways than one to win the G2 Dubai Gold Cup and provide Saeed bin Suroor, the most successful trainer in the history of the World Cup fixture, with an opportunity to bask in the limelight after a number of years out in the cold. 

And there was a touch of brilliance to the training performance with the nine-year-old Dubai Future notoriously tricky to keep sound. But produced at concert pitch by the trainer, the talented veteran ran out over two lengths too strong under Silvestre de Sousa for French raider Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa  Major {Jpn}) with Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) back in third.

The trainer said, “He has improved this year, even though I know he's nine years old but this year he came to Dubai a month ago and I know the way to train him. I told Silvestre to keep him behind and the key is to keep him relaxed.”

Bin Suroor added, “He is a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse but we tried him over a-mile-and-six and now two miles and he's done well.” 

A winner of the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy last time off the back of a 427-day absence, Dubai Future built on that performance to put in a career-best on Saturday to leave his rider suitably impressed. 

De Sousa said, “Congratulations to Saeed, he got him spot on today and this sets the horse up for the season. I told Saeed last time he only cantered round, just to take the freshness out of him.”

He added, “Today my concern was just to get him relaxed and for the first half of the race I had him just the way I wanted. He was breathing well and relaxed and he just took me there. I'm delighted for His Highness [Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum] and thankful for having the opportunity to ride this horse.”

Pedigree notes

Dubai Future is the most prolific runner out of Street Cry mare Anjaz, who was a Grade 3 scorer herself over 1m4f in America having been trained initially by Saeed bin Suroor to win three races in Britain. Anjaz has produced four more individual winners, including talented types like Winter's Love (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and After The Rain (Ire) (Shamardal). She is also a sister to Grade 2 scorer Giants Play (Giant's Causeway), who has produced three black-type performers, not to mention Listed winner Tearless (GB) (Street Cry), who is the dam of Oaks runner-up Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Dubai Future, who has now won in excess of £1.7 million in prize-money throughout his career, is the grandson of G1 Fillies' Mile scorer Playful Act (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who John Ferguson bought on behalf of Godolphin for $10,500,000 at Keeneland in 2007.

Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
DUBAI GOLD CUP (SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS)-G2, $1,000,000, Meydan, 4-5, 4yo/up, 3200mT, 3:21.50, gd.
1–DUBAI FUTURE (GB), 129, g, 9, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Anjaz (GSW-US, $195,378), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Playful Act (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Magnificient Style, by Silver Hawk
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Silvestre De Sousa.
$580,000. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP-Eng, GSW-Bhr
32-9-7-3, $2,805,068. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Double Major (Ire), 129, g, 5, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Dancequest
(Ire), by Dansili (GB). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (IRE);
T-Christophe Ferland. $200,000.
3–Epic Poet (Ire), 129, g, 6, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Sagaciously
(Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (180,000gns Wlg '19 TATDEC;
450,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT; 48,000gns HRA '23 TATOCT).
O-Akela Thoroughbreds Ltd; B-George Kent (IRE); T-David
O'Meara. $100,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 1/4, NK.
Also Ran: Passion And Glory (Ire), Trawlerman (Ire), Trafalgar Square (Fr), Term Of Endearment (GB), Al Nayyir (GB), Continuous (Jpn), Straight (Ger). Click for the ERA chart & video.

 

Wow!

completes a stunning comeback in the Dubai Gold Cup, sponsored by Al Tayer Motors pic.twitter.com/Ioxs4NEfYr

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) April 5, 2025

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