It's Godolphin Again - Best Solution Toughs It Out in Caulfield Cup

Mark Smith - Saturday October 20

Following wins in the Group II Princess Of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket and a pair of Group 1 wins in Germany, Godolphin's Best Solution (IRE) carried his topweight to victory in Saturday's $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup to round out a wonderful seven days for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and jockey Pat Cosgrave.

Last week the pair teamed up to win the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) with Benbatl (IRE) (Dubawi).

It was a second win in the race for Bin Suroor after All The Good in 2008.


From a wide draw, Best Solution was slowly away and Cosgrove made plenty of use of the son of Kodiac to find a one out one back position behind the pacesetting Ace High.

After racing worse than midfield, Ben Melham set the Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Homesman (USA) (War Front) to an all-out drive 700 metres out but Cosgrave was awake to the move and the pair singled out to stage an enthralling scrap.

Try as he might, Melham could not get Homesman's head in front and Best Solution (IRE) held on to win by a half-head with Aidan O'Brien's The Cliffsofmoher (IRE) (Galileo) one and a quarter lengths back in third with Andrew Balding's Duretto (GB) a hard-charging fourth. (photos Grant Courtney)

After winning two Group 1's in Germany to win another Group 1 in Australia is brilliant," Bin Surror said.

"I told Pat when the stalls open you need to be somewhere handy, third or fourth. He kicked early, which suited him really and he won well.

"It's been a great year. We have some very good horses. The Melbourne Cup is another big race, another dream for us, but we'll try"

Best Solution advances his record to 9 wins, 2 seconds and 3 thirds from 22 starts with earnings of $4,409,302.

A 32,000 guineas weanling and a 90,000 guineas Tattersalls yearling, Best Solution (IRE) is the lone winner from three to race out of the Kingmambo mare Al Andalyya who is a half-sister to Listed winner Kosmiche (Fastnet Rock), and to Cape Clear Island (Fastnet Rock} who was runner-up in the Group II G2 Prix Hocquart and Group III Sandown Classic Trial.

His stakes-placed granddam Kushnarenkovo (Sadler's Wells) is a sister to Group 1 winner Brian Boru and a half to Group II Herbert Power Stakes winner Sea Moon (Beat Hollow).

A Danehill half-brother to Invincible Spirit, Kodiac has risen from humble beginnings to be among Europe's premiant stallions.

After covering his third and fourth book of mares at Tally-Ho Stud at a fee of €4,000, the wonderfully versatile Kodiac stood for a fee of €50,000 this year

Advertisment
More Reading...
The Battle for Champion 2YO Sire Title
The $5million Group I ATC Golden Slipper used to have a massive bearing on the 2YO sires list by earnings and whoever sired the winner was a moral to take Champion 2YO Sire honours, but with a proliferation of $1million juvenile races that is no longer the case.
Pencarrow Broodmare Paddock Calling for Pearl of Alsace
Pearl Of Alsace came desperately close to a fairytale finish to her racing career, with the Group One performer retiring off the back of a second placing in Saturday’s Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m).
Winx Family Delivers Group Double for Boutique Kiwi Breeders
Family runs deep and fast for Northland couple Dirk and Nicci Oberholster who are enjoying a magical run with their small broodmare band.
Delivering the Goods
When a trainer takes on an expensive colt for a stallion syndicate there is a considerably higher degree of pressure placed on that trainer to turn that investment into a stallion of the future and when you lose your juvenile season due to a paddock accident, that task becomes a hell of a lot harder.
Exciting New Dark Angel Son for White Robe Lodge
Quality European galloper Alflaila (GB) has been secured for stud duties by White Robe Lodge, introducing one of the world’s great sire-lines to New Zealand through his champion sire Dark Angel. 
Awesome Stakes Win for Watch Me Rock
Rising star Watch Me Rock unleashed a blistering turn of foot to seize an unlikely victory and announce himself as a serious contender for Perth Autumn carnival features in the Listed Grandstand Cup (1500m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Too Darn Lizzie Joins Stellar Inglis Chairman's Sale Lineup
Top-class 3YO filly Too Darn Lizzie, one of the best of her generation, is the latest addition to the already stellar cast for The Chairman’s Sale at Riverside on May 8.
Call Me Handsome Repaying The Faith
Call Me Handsome (IRE) arrived in Australia off the back of a third behind rising young star Pakistan Star in a Griffin race over 1200 metres at Sha Tin back in July 2016.
Arrowfield Announce Unbeaten G1 2YO Vandeek
Arrowfield Stud is proud to announce that the two-time Group 1 2YO winner Vandeek (Havana Grey-Mosa Mine by Exceed and Excel) will shuttle to Arrowfield from Cheveley Park Stud, UK in 2025.
Black Type Next for Fierce Impact filly
David Walsh’s golden run continued at Riccarton on Saturday when he collected a winning double at his home track courtesy of in-form runners Zelia and Toa Haka, and now he has his sights on black-type targets.