Benbatl continued his excellent start to 2018 on Thursday, 1 February when easily landing the G2 Al Rashidiya at Meydan. Coming into the race on the back of a victory in the G3 Singspiel Stakes over the same course and distance, the progressive son of Dubawi was always travelling smoothly before asserting to record a three-and-three-quarter length triumph.
Unraced as a juvenile, Benbatl soon became a top-flight performer last season, with a G3 victory at Royal Ascot in the Hampton Court Stakes and excellent placed efforts in the G2 Dante and G3 Craven Stakes.
He is the first foal of the Selkirk mare Nahrain, who twice scored at the highest level in the Prix de l’Opera and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes. She also has an unraced New Approach three-year-old, named Ta Allak, in training with Roger Varian, a yearling filly by Dubawi, and is due to visit the same sire again this season.
Dubawi, who is standing this season at a fee of £250,000 Oct 1, SLF, is the sire of 93 lifetime Group winners including 33 that have won at the highest level. He was also the world’s leading yearling sales sire last season with an average of £751,000, the third successive year that he has achieved that feat.
