Godolphin pair to be tested in Craven Stakes

It was all Godolphin blue in the 3-year-old Classic trials Sunday at Longchamp, where the colt Persian King won the Prix de Fontainebleau and the filly Castle Lady the Prix de la Grotte. Persian King is a possible runner in the English 2000 Guineas, but his status for that race depends to some extent on how two more Godolphin colts perform Wednesday at Newmarket in the Group 3 Craven Stakes.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Royal Marine, a Group 1 winner last fall in France before a failed dirt experiment this winter in Dubai, is the more accomplished of the pair, but it’s the Charlie Appleby-trained Zakouski who as of Monday was the antepost favorite.

Royal Marine’s Group 1 came in the Jean-Luc Lagardere, a race that, to be frank, was short and fairly soft in 2018. Runner-up was Broome, who does not appear to be one of Aidan O’Brien’s top 3-year-olds this season.

Zakouski’s promise apparently has dazzled overseas punters, for there is not a whole lot of substance justifying his favoritism Wednesday. Appleby has been on a long and powerful roll, and won the 2018 Craven with Masar, who would go on to capture the Epsom Derby. Zakouski, by Shamardal, has only one race behind him, a seven-furlong maiden last November over the all-weather track at Kempton. He sat a perfect pocket trip in that race, getting through on the inside, and while the horse he outkicked, Headman, was highly regarded at the time, he made a modest impression finishing sixth of nine April 12 in his first start since Zakouski beat him.

The third and fourth early betting choices hold some appeal. Skardu, another Shamardal colt, this one trained by William Haggas, also has a mere one-race résumé, but his lone start might have at least as much to recommend it as Zakouski’s. It came last September not on some all-weather surface, but over the very straight course at Nemarket that hosts the Craven, and, racing in traffic most of the trip and having to make multiple moves, Skardu showed talent, athleticism, and purpose posting a two-length win.

Set Piece, a Khalid Abdullah homebred trained by Hugo Palmer, comes into the Craven 2 for 2 while set to make his turf debut following a pair of all-weather wins, one at Kempton, the other at Newcastle, and both going one mile. Set Piece defeated no international stars in either race, but several horses behind him have come back to win. Set Piece, by Dansili, might want more distance than he gets Wednesday and has demonstrated more sustained runs than sharp acceleration, but he traveled well into both his wins and scored comfortably.