Godolphin Racing's unbeaten 2-year-old Dawn Approach warmed up for his Oct. 13 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (Eng-I) engagement with a solid work under jockey Kevin Manning Oct. 2 at trainer Jim Bolger's Beechy Park in Ireland.
The son of first-crop sire New Approach worked in company with fellow Dubai Dewhurst Stakes entry Leitir Mor going 5 1/2 furlongs.
"On his work this morning, I couldn't be more pleased," said Bolger, who has saddled four winners of the last six renewals of the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. One of the quartet was Dawn Approach's sire, a five-time group I winner, and the pair share the same fighting spirit.
"One thing that they very much have in common is the will to win," the trainer remarked. "After that, there would not be a lot of similarities. New Approach was highly charged and it was a bit of a struggle to keep the lid on him. But this fellow is quite laid back, even lazy in his races. He is very relaxed and I don't have any horses that sleep longer than he does. But he seems to have the same ability as New Approach."
Europe's leading juvenile on official figures, Dawn Approach now carries the Godolphin blue silks and was last seen when emphatically taking the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Ire-I) at the Curragh Sept. 15. He was bred by Bolger out of the Phone Trick mare Hymn Of The Dawn.
"Dawn Approach showed us almost from the word 'go,'" Bolger said. "Just watching him, you could see this fellow had something. He has a terrific action, he is able to quicken up when the need arises in his races, and loves his racing."
Dawn Approach made his first appearance early this season, recording a comfortable 1 3/4-length victory over five furlongs March 25 at the Curragh. Next time out at Naas May 16, he moved up to six furlongs and powered away to win by an impressive fiv5 1/2 lengths. He took the June 4 Rochestown Stakes going six furlongs by 2 3/4 lengths, then progressed to the June 19 Coventry Stakes (Eng-II), which he won by three-quarters of a length over dual group II winner Olympic Glory.
Following his Royal Ascot victory, Dawn Approach was purchased by Godolphin, with the agreement being the colt would remain with Bolger to run in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. His first start for Godolphin resulted in a decisive 4 3/4-length victory in the Vincent O'Brien.
"I'm sure he has improved since the Curragh," Bolger said. "I was a little concerned about the going there—it was on the soft side—and he hadn't run since June. I wasn't certain I had him at his peak. As it happened, he seemed to do it very easily. He came out of the race very well and was very fresh two days later. I think he only dropped a couple of kilos and he had it back on within three days."
Bolger will also bring Wexford Opera to the Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) over six furlongs and impressive Gowran Park maiden winner Trading Leather in the mile Three Autumn Stakes (Eng-III). All three races are run on Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket Oct. 13.
The seven-furlong Dubai Dewhurst Stakes is the defining 2-year-old contest of the season a key pointer to future classic success in both the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) and the Investec Derby (Eng-I). Champion Frankel rounded off his juvenile campaign with success in the 2010 Dewhurst Stakes before going on to capture the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas, while other recent scorers New Approach (2007) and Sir Percy (2005) went on to triumph in the following season's Derby after finishing second in the Two Thousand Guineas.
Other notable winners in recent times include the unbeaten Teofilo (2006), subsequent dual French classic scorer Shamardal (2004), and Rock Of Gibraltar (2001), who won the Two Thousand Guineas and four other group I races the following year.
