Top-rated Benbatl leads Dubai's Singspiel Stakes

Benbatl may have skipped the 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival, but the second-highest-rated horse on the grounds is coming in hot once again this year for top trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

The Godolphin-owned son of Dubawi leads Thursday’s Group 2, $250,000 Singspiel Stakes — a race he dominated in 2018 on his way to also annexing the Dubai Turf (G1) — as the heavy favorite for his connections.

It will mark his first start since finishing unplaced in Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) last October. Said effort followed a massive return to form in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes (G2) that earned him a lofty 125 rating, second only to the Charlie Appleby-conditioned Ghaiyyath at 126.

“He’s doing very well,” Bin Suroor said. “He worked very well last Thursday to prepare for this race. It was very strong and a good work. He had a long time off after a hard (2018 season). He’s in good form and he is ready to go. I’m happy with him and look forward to running.”

Between his Dubai Turf romp and belated September return at Newmarket, the bay charge landed Germany’s Grosser Dallmayr Preis-Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1) and Australia’s Ladbrokes Stakes (G1) before finishing a game runner-up to the great Winx in the 2018 Cox Plate (G1).

Bin Suroor’s Al Quoz Stables is off to a fantastic start already and that momentum could maintain as Dream Castle, winner of last year’s Singspiel (when it was a Group 3 event), will look to defend his title as part of the barn's 1-2 punch. The Group 1-winning son of Frankel was off form when venturing to Australia during the autumn but returns to his favorite course.