Baaeed rematch seems likely for Real World at Ascot

Simon Milham
May 29, 2022 10:38 am

Queen Anne currently favoured over Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Real World will “most likely” take on unbeaten Baaeed again in the Queen Anne Stakes, rather than tackle the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

Saeed bin Suroor and the Godolphin team have been mulling over the two options for the dual Group Two winner since Baaeed had the measure of him in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury two weeks ago.

Real World, a son of Dark Angel, won five consecutive stakes races before being pitched in at the highest level.

Though beaten in both the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup, he acquitted himself well in the Lockinge, despite being beaten three and a quarter lengths by Baaeed, who is currently odds-on for Queen Anne glory.

What. A. Horse!
Brilliant Baaeed bang with a bang in the @AlShaqabRacing Lockinge Stakes @NewburyRacing 💥

That’s 7⃣ from 7⃣ now – three of which at the top level – for William Haggas, @JimCrowley1978 and @ShadwellRacing
Total superstar ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ruWSxERXzF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 14, 2022

Yet after seeing Bay Bridge trounce the likes of classy performers Mostahdaf and Addeybb in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, catapulting him to favouritism for the 10-furlong Prince of Wales’s Stakes on June 15, Bin Suroor and Godolphin may not run Real World in that Group One race after all.

“I have been thinking about these two races for a long time,” said Bin Suroor.

“Most likely we will go to the Queen Anne now. The winner at Sandown (Bay Bridge) is going to go for the Prince of Wales’s and it looks a very good race with some very good horses.

“The mile and a quarter would suit Real World, but the mile of the Queen Anne would suit him also.

“We are going to meet Baaeed, the same horse who won the Lockinge, in the Queen Anne, so it is a difficult decision. Baaeed is very good.”

Meanwhile, the 55-year-old Newmarket handler is hopeful his Exceed And Excel filly Mawj can build on her impressive debut victory when she goes for the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting.

Mawj looked a smart prospect when landing a six-furlong fillies’ novice by four and three-quarter lengths at Newmarket two weeks ago.

The runner-up, Believing, has since franked the form, winning on the all-weather at Wolverhampton, and Bin Suroor says she has been working well ahead of her tilt at the Group Three contest on June 17.

Saeed bin Suroor looking ahead to the Albany Stakes with Mawj (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Mawj will hopefully go to the Albany,” he added. “She was working well ahead of her debut, but the way she ran, she ran nicely.

“She is a nice filly and always she works nicely in the morning. We thought she would run a big race at Newmarket, but she won it easily.

“She is a good filly, but we need to see more from her really. That is what we hope to see in the Albany.”

Monaadah will bid to take his unbeaten record to three at Kempton next Wednesday, according to the trainer.

Having made a successful debut over seven furlongs in a conditions race on turf at Meydan in March, the three-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway followed up on his British and all-weather debut at Newcastle over a similar trip earlier this month.

Bin Suroor said: “Monaadah is a nice colt – he is one of Shadwell’s horses. For a long time, Skeikh Hamdan had always sent horses to me and we have a few.

“He looked nice and has won two races, but he needs to improve.

“He needed a bit of time. That is why we ran him in Dubai for his debut (in March) as he wasn’t ready as a two-year-old.

“You have to give these type of horses a bit of time. He ran nicely at Newcastle and he worked well two days ago, so he will run at Kempton under a penalty.”

The master of Godolphin Stables also had news of White Wolf, who was pitched into the Dante Stakes after winning an all-weather Southwell novice on debut.

Though he was only ninth to Derby favourite Desert Crown at York, his trainer said the son of Invincible Spirit suffered a physical problem in the race and he will be given more time before his next outing.