Group I racing returned to the UK overnight with the running of the Coronation Cup Stakes (1m4f) at Newmarket with two of the world’s best sires combining to produce the winner Ghaiyyath, who carved out a new course record in beating last year’s Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyk and champion long distance stayer Stradivarius.
A 1.1million euro purchase from the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale for Godolphin, five year-old Ghaiyyath is trained by Charley Appleby and was ridden by William Buick.
Having his second run this year having won at Meydan back in February, Ghaiyyath led all the way and was dominant in winning by two and a half lengths, his overall record now seven wins and two placings from 10 starts.
"All credit to the team and many thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for allowing us to to keep Ghaiyyath in training,” said Appleby.
“To have five-year-olds around is a treat for any stable but to have one of his calibre is pretty special. He was on it from flagfall but I could see he was in a rhythm we'd seen before. His mid-race move just kills them and it's great for him to get his first British Group 1 win."
By Dubawi from a daughter of Galileo, Ghaiyyath is a half-brother to Fastnet Rock’s Group I winner Zhukova and is the best of five winners from Group I Irish Thousand Guineas winner Nightime.
Nightime has a half-sister called Mermaid Island (IRE) that has gone to stud here in Australia and left a number of winners including stakes-winner Ondina.
The Dubawi x Galileo nick is becoming a very successful one appearing in the pedigrees of 15 stakes-winners with Ghaiyyath one of three Group I winners bred this way joining Night of Thunder and Dream Castle.
The stakes-winner to runner strike rate is 9.8% and if we look at it more specifically with just Dubawi over daughters of Galileo the stats improve to 20% stakes-winners to runners.
