Real World Romps Home in Gr.3 Strenstall Stakes At York
York’s Saturday action kicked off in style, with the apple of Saeed bin Suroor’s eye Real World again demonstrating his raw quality as his love affair with the impressive Marco Ghiani continued in the Gr.3 Strensall Stakes. Dynamic in the Royal Hunt Cup at a mile and the 10-furlong Listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury, Godolphin’s progressive and as-yet untested 4-year-old settled in second as El Drama made the running in the 1m,1f contest. The leader began winding it up from the top of the straight, but Real World travelled much the best and got to the front a furlong from home before running on strongly to score by a length and a half. Dual Gr.1 winner Lord Glitters, under penalty, finished well to take second, a length in front of third place Duke Of Hazzard.
Bin Suroor said: “He’s been a lovely horse all the time – and after he won at Ascot and at Newbury, we thought we would run him in this race.
“This horse has always looked class in the morning, the way he trains and the way he works. He ran a huge race today, and the jockey is happy with him and was happy to ride him.
“Marco is going to be one of the top jockeys in the future. He tries to copy Frankie (Dettori). That is his aim still, but he has a long way to go. He is good, and I’ve always liked him.
“I saw him ride, and then he came to work me for me in the mornings, and he looks one for the future.”
He added: “We may take Real World to Newmarket first or to France, but the race for him at the end of the season is the QEII as we speak.
“He’s a nice horse, but he needs to improve more. We took him to Dubai this year, and he was still weak. When he came back here we gave him a chance.
“Every time he runs he has improved, and he is a horse for next year too.”
Real World is now unbeaten in three starts and was recording a 76th stakes winner for his sire Dark Angel. Owned and bred by Godolphin, he is a half-brother to the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner and Gr.2 May Hill Stakes runner-up Dubai Fountain out of a half-sister to the Gr.1 winners and sires Dubai Destination and Librettist, from a classy family.
Diabolic Delivers Second Straight Stakes Win
Later in the evening Yeomanstown Stud homebred Diabolic brought up a double for resident Dark Angel and took her juvenile career record to a perfect three-for-three with her second straight stakes win in the $125,000 Listed Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine, under a patient Antonio Gallardo to deliver trainer Mark Casse and owners D.J. Stable LLC & Nexus Racing Club, with a natural hat-trick.
“She ran pretty good off the pace,” said Gallardo after the local prep for the $400,000 Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on September 19, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event. “I saw a couple of horses with speed today going a little longer distance than last time, so I settled down; tried to save some ground. She’s a nice filly. I saw the inside hole and I only asked her a little bit and she just rolled.”
“She’s improved,” said Gallardo. “Every race, she tells you she’s something, no matter if it’s five furlongs, 6 ½, Polytrack, 6 ½ on the turf… she’s classy. She can do everything all the time.”
