Arabian Crown gave Godolphin a record fifth victory in the Canadian International when drawing clear to win the Grade One contest at Woodbine by three and three-quarter lengths under Jamie Spencer.
The five-year-old gelding, trained by Charlie Appleby, made a successful first North American start in the mile-and-a-half turf race. The result supplied Arabian Crown with the first Grade One success of his career, while Spencer landed his first win in the Canadian International and Appleby matched the race record with a third training success.
Tawny Port finished second for a second consecutive year, with Dermot Weld’s Purview third. The race was staged on Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor turf course, described as good by Horse Racing Nation.
Spencer adapts after missing the lead
Spencer and Arabian Crown broke sharply, but Tomasello moved forward to set the pace. Arabian Crown settled a length behind through measured early fractions, rather than making the running as Spencer had initially hoped.
According to Sporting Life, Spencer said after the race that he had wanted an even pace on the lead but accepted the position behind Tomasello. He reported that Arabian Crown travelled with his ears pricked and was able to conserve energy during the race.
With half a mile remaining, Spencer asked Arabian Crown to improve and the gelding moved past Tomasello around the far turn. He established a clear advantage entering the straight and maintained it despite drifting towards the centre of the course.
Horse Racing Nation reported that Arabian Crown completed the race in 2min 30.67sec. Spencer had deliberately moved away from the inside in the straight after inspecting the track, having judged that fresh ground could be advantageous following rain on the previous day and earlier racing.
The winning rider’s decision was therefore not simply a response to a horse veering from a line; it was an adjustment made with the state of the surface in mind. Arabian Crown had sufficient room to sustain his effort and was not seriously threatened in the closing stages.
Record result for Godolphin
The victory took Godolphin’s tally in the Canadian International to five, a record in the race. Appleby’s third success brought him level with the training record, adding to his earlier wins in the contest with Walton Street in 2021 and Nations Pride in 2023, according to Horse Racing Nation.
Assistant trainer Nikki Jones said Arabian Crown had trained very well since arriving in Canada. She indicated that the team had expected him to obtain a handy position and said that giving him room to operate had been important.
Jones also described Arabian Crown as a lightly raced horse who was continuing to improve. That assessment is supported by the immediate form sequence supplied by the reports: he arrived at Woodbine after winning the Group Three Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown on 12 September, his third Group-race success.
Earlier in the season, Arabian Crown had finished second to fellow Godolphin runner Rebel’s Romance in the Group Two Princess of Wales’s Stakes. The Woodbine result was a step up in grade from his previous second in the Group Two Princess of Wales’s Stakes and delivered his first Grade One success.
Tawny Port and Purview fill the places
Tawny Port, who had lost by a nose in the previous year’s Canadian International, again occupied second place. Ridden by Sahin Civaci for trainer Miguel Clement, he was held up towards the rear before making ground around the final bend and finishing three and three-quarter lengths behind Arabian Crown.
Purview, trained by Weld and ridden by Chris Hayes, took third after a more difficult passage. Horse Racing Nation reported that he broke slowly, was checked when room closed on the rail and had to be switched wide in the straight. He finished seven and a half lengths behind the winner.
For Arabian Crown, the performance showed he could translate his recent European form to a new course and continent. It also extended an already productive Woodbine period for Godolphin, following Notable Speech’s Woodbine Mile success on 12 September, as reported by Horse Racing Nation.