Wild Tiger roars for Saeed bin Suroor in Royal Hunt Cup

Adam Morgan and Molly Hunter
June 19, 2024 4:57 pm

Well-related five-year-old set to go for Group races next.

Wild Tiger made it four wins from four outings on British soil after coming out of the pack to strike for Saeed bin Suroor in the Royal Hunt Cup and give Oisin Murphy a double on day two of Royal Ascot.

Metal Merchant was the first to lay down a challenge as the race entered the halfway stage down the centre of the track, but Murphy and Wild Tiger were prominent as he stalked his rival.

The Frankel gelding – a half-brother to Dubai World Cup runner-up Algiers – followed up wins at Yarmouth and Goodwood this season as he took an advantage entering the final furlong before being chased down by the fast-finishing Sonny Liston, who had occupied the runner-up berth 12 months ago.

But the line came in time for the Godolphin-owned five-year-old to come home by a head as the 11-2 joint-favourite and give the popular Bin Suroor a 39th Royal Ascot winner, and another Hunt Cup winner in quick succession after Real World in 2021. Perotto stayed on for third, a further three-quarters of length adrift.

“I always liked him. Last year he had some tiny problems and I stopped running him. I don’t think he is going to be a handicap horse, we will be looking for Group races, Group Three, but I think we will still be at a mile as he has plenty of speed,” said Bin Suroor, who these days does not have the firepower of old at his disposal.

“The numbers are down from 250 horses to 40 horses, but luckily we still have luck with some of them. Last year we had Mawj who was the 1000 Guineas winner but also she won in America, a Grade One.

“Always we are searching for something, it’s not easy. We have to keep a small number, but we have to think they could do something, it is not easy for the stable, luckily this horse has done good for us today. It’s a big thing for the stable.

“It is not easy, but we do it because we have to do it, we have no options.”