Ghaiyyath leads all the way in Coronation Cup

Ghaiyyath was going to be heavily favored and tough to beat in the Sheema Classic, a race that was canceled because of coronavirus, but instead of winning a late March Group 1 in Dubai, he conquered a Group 1 in early June at Newmarket, leading from start to finish in the Coronation Cup.

Ghaiyyath runs like an American dirt horse, galloping exuberantly to the lead and barely permitting his jockey to restrain him. William Buick handled the demands of the task perfectly, giving Ghaiyyath enough free rein to let him control the race from start without ever letting his mount get out of control.

The 1 1/2-mile Coronation Cup usually is run at Epsom Downs but was moved to Newmarket because of COVID-19 schedule reshuffling, and the one-turn, relatively straight configuration of the 12-furlong Newmarket course suited Ghaiyyath. His lead through the early and middle stages ranged from about five lengths to eight lengths, and there still were five furlongs to race when riders on the chasing pair of Defoe and Stradivarius began working hard to try and bridge the gap. That worked poorly for both, though Stradivarius did hold third, as Anthony Van Dyck came from farther back to mount what looked a quarter-mile out like a meaningful challenge. But through the final uphill stages it was Anthony Van Dyck who lost momentum as Ghaiyyath plugged home an impressive 2 1/2-length winner. He clocked 2:25.89, a course record.

Godolphin owns and Charlie Appleby trains Ghaiyyath, a 5-year-old son of Dubawi and Nighttime, by Galileo. Ghaiyyath needs firm turf, the lead, and time between races, which limits his consistency, but on top of his game he is one of the best 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-mile horses anywhere. Appleby said Ghaiyyath will be considered for the Eclipse Stakes on July 5, a race toward which Enable also is being pointed.