Royal Meeting Lands Criterium for Saeed Bin Suroor

Royal Meeting continued Saeed Bin Suroor's golden October when he ran on powerfully to edge out Hermosa in the hands of Christophe Soumillon. 

The success in the Oct. 28 Criterium International (G1) at Chantilly followed three weeks after the Bin Suroor-trained Royal Marine's Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Sponsorisé par Manateq (G1) victory at Longchamp and, remarkably, the pair are now the owners of two group 1 successes from just five career starts between them. 

Godolphin managing director Hugh Anderson said: "I've just talked to Saeed, who's in Los Angeles transiting from Australia to Louisville, and he's thrilled to bits.

"Christophe said he is a proper racehorse. He'll probably go to Dubai now, and we'll work out what the plan will be for next year. Saeed has had a brilliant few weeks, winning the Lagardere with Royal Marine and now this, along with two group 1s in Australia (Benbatl and Best Solution)—it couldn't be better." 

With the Charlie Appleby-trained Quorto landing the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (G1), Godolphin heads into the winter with three genuine classic contenders.

Anderson added: "A mile is Christophe's suggestion for Royal Meeting, but we'll leave it to Saeed.

"The great thing for him is he's got some great 2-year-olds and can maybe make some interesting decisions, perhaps do things differently to before. But he knows what he's doing, and it'll be down to him and the boss (Sheikh Mohammed)."

Frankie Dettori ensured there would be no hanging around aboard Kessaar, and while Ballydoyle's No. 1 Hermosa took command halfway up the straight, Royal Meeting quickly became a major threat down the center of the track.

Soumillon said: "He's such a well-balanced horse, and I was always confident in the straight, although I was conscious not to attack too early against a battle-hardened Aidan O'Brien runner. I knew she'd fight, and I stayed a bit wide so as not to give her encouragement."

Paddy Power went to 25-1 for the winner, a son of Invincible Spirit, for the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1).

After a lengthy debrief from Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien was far from disappointed with the performance of Hermosa, who had already shown her ability to stay further when she finished second to Iridessa in the Bet365 Fillies Mile (G1).

The trainer said: "She ran very well and we're very happy. She's a middle-distance filly and she'll have no problem starting at a mile next year but I think she'll get a mile and a half. We'll train her for the classics, the Guineas, and the Oaks."