Khaldun facing stern Irish test
by Michelle Fortune, 15 May 2008
Godolphin will be facing a "big problem" with Ibn Khaldun if he fails to bounce back to form in the Boylesports Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday week.
The colt was considered one of the leading contenders for the Newmarket equivalent and was eventually sent off the second favourite in the Classic earlier this month. However, he never figured for Frankie Dettori leaving connections at a loss to explain his poor run.
He will be out to make amends for his poor run on the Rowley Mile in the Irish showpiece on May 24 and Godolphin are expecting a much improved performance.
"He's the only horse that we have run that has run differently to how we expected," declared Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford.
"We were expecting him to finish in the frame - we were expecting a big, big run from him - and he was massively disappointing.
"There are no reasons [for the run]. Obviously we have checked him out from head to toe but nothing came to light. The horse is very fresh, very well and he's very sound and nothing has come to light."
The Dubai Destination colt won four of his five starts as a juvenile, completing his four-timer in impressive fashion in the Racing Post Trophy, and Crisford is convinced he has the class to bounce back in style.
"Obviously, his run in Ireland is going to be a key moment. If he runs the same in Ireland as he ran at Newmarket then we are really facing a big problem with him because he shows so much in his work, he looks fantastic and we know he has class. He has proven he has plenty of class," he told At The Races.
"I can't say we are expecting him to run like that again. He just shows us too much."
While a genuine Vodafone Derby contender has yet to emerge from the Godolphin yard, Crisford is confident that the Dubai operation will have a runner in the blue riband on June 7.
“I hope we have an Epsom horse but we have to wait and see how the trials unfold. We have a few that are still in the melting pot, but I don't think we’re going to making any decisions too quickly.”