Saba Desert wins the Superlative

bet365 Superlative Stakes report and replay: Saba Desert swoops late for Godolphin

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Sat July 12, 2025 · 5M ago

Saba Desert (6/1) ran out a ready winner of a messy renewal of the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

Charlie Appleby's charge made his challenge on the right flank of the field and that proved to be a crucial move as long-time leader Venetian Lace drifted markedly to her left when coming off the bridle.

That carried her across to the winner's stablemate Wild Desert and forced 4/6 favourite and eventual runner-up Italy towards the centre of the track.

Whether he'd have coped with the winner's turn of gear is another matter though, the recent Sandown debut scorer going on to win by a length-and-three-quarters and maintain his unbeaten record. Sky Bet and Paddy Power make the winner a 16/1 chance for next year's Betfred 2000 Guineas.

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Appleby said: “It was an interesting race. Take nothing away from Saba Desert as he is a horse that we liked from the get go. We were pleased with the way how he did it at Sandown. He naturally progressed from Sandown to here. It is a race that people know now that we try and find the right one for it.I know he fluffed his lines at the start, but I would rather him do that than hit the lids and be forced up on the pace.

“He has done it all the right way round. The most important part once you hit that rising ground and you are finishing and he showed that class in doing so. He is a lovely deep girthed horse and we have liked him from the get go.”

While the Dewhurst Stakes emerged as the long term target for this season Appleby admitted that Saba Desert is likely be more of a Betfred 2000 Guineas colt for next year.

He added: “He is a horse we will work back from the Dewhurst with. Whether we decide to go down the National Stakes route, or the Champagne and then the Dewhurst we will see. I think he is more of a Guineas type. As a stamp of a horse he is a typical Dubawi stamp. He stands up sides Maximised at home and he was going off the favourite for the July Stakes and I knew which horse I would like to jump on. There is plenty about this horse.

“I’m delighted with the third horse Wild Desert as he is the one who got the most interrupted run throughout as the filly took him on and when William moved a bit later on that moved him again. He might go to the Vintage as I thought that might suit him around there.”

Curragh next for Italy

As for the runner-up, Aidan O’Brien earmarked the Group Two Futurity Stakes at the Curragh next month as a possible target.

He said: “I’m very happy. He was a bit babyish and a bit green, but we thought that might be the case. He will go back to the Futurity Stakes now. If he won today he would have had to go into a Group One next. We will go back to the Futurity and we will go from there.

“He came for experience and he hasn’t been woke up at all really. I’m very happy and I look forward to the next time with him.”

bet365 Superlative Stakes report and replay: Saba Desert swoops late for Godolphin

Curragh next for Italy

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