Dual Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games jumped back into the world top ten with a return to form last weekend in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Having suffered a surprise defeat on his four-year-old debut at Keeneland, Godolphin’s son of Dubawi landed the fifth G1 of a cosmopolitan career with a decisive length-and-a-half verdict over Chindit.
As a result, he moves up to #9 (from #25) with a 206pt boost on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s exclusive Global Rankings, which are still led by Japanese superstar Equinox.
Surprisingly, the Lockinge was Modern Games’s first G1 win on home territory after top-level victories in France, Canada and twice in the US at the last two editions of the Breeders’ Cup.
A third success in the latter event, held this year at Santa Anita, is his end-of-season target – but more pressing is a date at Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes.
“Modern Games deserved this,” said world #1 trainer Charlie Appleby. “He was already a four-time G1 winner but it’s a huge feather in his cap for him to do it on home soil.
“Modern Games started his career off with the likes of Native Trail and Coroebus, so he was going out in the mornings with some star milers.
“We have seen Modern Games winning the French Guineas and out in North America, and I thought finishing second to Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes was a huge race. He was one of the few horses who put Baaeed under the pump and I felt he gained a lot of recognition in the UK from that point onwards.”
Six-length Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Liberty Island (#13 from #57, +235pt) flashed obvious star quality in the Tokyo Classic on Sunday [May 21]. Having already landed the Oka Sho, her nation’s Triple Tiara looks hers for the taking in the Shuka Sho (fillies’ St Leger) in the autumn.
The presence of Kentucky Derby winner Mage (#48 from #40, -33pt) notwithstanding, the seven-runner Preakness Stakes looked a relatively moderate renewal on paper. Game all-the-way winner National Treasure just misses the top 100 at #105.
• Visit the Newbury website and the Godolphin website
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