TO an owner like Maktoum Al Maktoum, having to hand over [GBP]17,500 to have a thoroughbred supplemented into this and that race is done without the slightest concern.
This was the scenario yesterday when the seniormember of the Dubai royal family gave his consent for Best Alibi, who is trained for him by SirMichael Stoute, to be added to the list of likely runners for the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday, the final Group 1 event of the season in Britain.
The colt has not exactly made the most auspicious of starts to his career, having won a maiden race at Leicester last week, beating Acheekyone by a neck over seven furlongs.
Stoute is favourite to secure an eighth trainers' title after opening up a six-figure lead overAidan O'Brien, although the Irish handler is also set be involved at Town Moor.
He is responsible for five of the 11 possible runners in a race which he has won twice in the last five years, with Brian Boru (2003) and High Chaparral (2001).
Septimus, the Beresford Stakes winner, heads the Ballydoyle squad, along with Prix Morny second and July Stakes winner, Ivan Denisovich.
Dylan Thomas and Arabian Prince, second and third in the Autumn Stakes at Salisbury last time, could also line up, together with the once-raced Mountain.
Off the course, John Gosden will be busy packing over the next weeks after having taken the decision to leave his base at Manton and return to training in Newmarket.
The 54-year-old moved from Newmarket to the Sangster family-owned estate in Wiltshire in 2000, but he has now purchased Clarehaven Stables on the Bury Road, the premises formerly owned by the late Alec Stewart. "In many ways it will be like coming home, " claimed the trainer. "I was assistant trainer to Sir Noel Murless in Newmarket in the mid-70s and also trained for 11 years at Stanley House."
The highlight of yesterday's action was at Pontefract, where Nakheel maintained his unbeaten record in impressive fashion with an easy success in the Listed race on the programme.
Mark Johnston, his trainer, took the mile race in 2001with Bandari, a subsequent multiple Group winner, and the Scot looks to have another smart prospect on his hands after the colt scored by four lengths.
Richard Hills sent the son of Sadler's Wells into the lead coming off the home turn and the pair opened up a healthy advantage that never looked like being eroded. "We came here to find out if he was a good horse, and that is what we wanted, " said Johnston.
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