Another U.S.-bred 3-year-old, Noverre is a son of Rahy whose victories this year include the Champagne Lanson Sussex Stakes (Eng-I).Godolphin's 2-year-old entries include two graded stakes winners. Essence of Dubai, a $2.3 million yearling purchase produced from the Juvenile Fillies winner Epitome, won the grade II Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita in his last start. Although still a maiden, Ibn al Haitham (by Zafonic) has stakes experience, finishing second to his stablemate in the Norfolk.Tempera, a 2-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy, earned black type with a victory in the grade II Sorrento Stakes before finishing third in the Del Mar Debutante. Imperial Gesture, a daughter of Langfuhr, broke her maiden by 10 3/4 lengths in her second career start and then finished second in the Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I).
When pre-entries closed Monday for the Oct. 27 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Racing Championships, globe-trotting Godolphin Racing was represented by eight different entries, including two cross-entered for both the Classic and the Turf.Pre-entries will not be released until noon Wednesday, but Godolphin revealed its plans on its Website. According to the Godolphin list, Fantastic Light and Sakhee were both pre-entered for the Classic and Turf, with the $4-million Classic the first preference for each horse.The other Godolphin pre-entries were: Express Tour and Noverre, Mile; Essence of Dubai and Ibn Al Haitham, Juvenile; and Tempera and Imperial Gesture, Juvenile Fillies.The four 2-year-olds are trained in the U.S. by Eion Harty and the other four Godolphin Cup horses are under the care of trainer Saeed bin Suroor.Fantastic Light is Godolphin's stable star this year and his entry in the Classic puts the son of Rahy on course for a matchup with his European rival Galileo.Sakhee, a U.S.-bred son of Bahri, has been lightly raced during three years of competition, and his 2001 campaign was delayed due to knee problems, according to Timeform. From three starts this year, his two group I victories included an impressive six-length romp in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere.Express Tour is a 3-year-old son of Tour d'Or who fared poorly in the Kentucky Derby but returned to win the one-mile Jerome (gr. II) at Belmont.
