Bin Suroor rues Ascot going for Benbatl

Saeed bin Suroor has revealed his disappointment Benbatl will not feature in the Qipco Champions Day at Ascot due to the going.

The Champion Stakes over 10 furlongs or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile were being considered for the multiple Group One winner.

However, the soft ground expected at Ascot this weekend is far from ideal and frustrated trainer Bin Suroor says Benbatl will be shipped back to Dubai.

“There was no point running him at Ascot (this weekend) – we ran him last year, and he hated it,” said Bin Suroor.

“We were keen to run, (and) he’d been working well, but we know he doesn’t like soft ground.

“He won’t go to the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll take him back to Dubai, prepare him for races out there for him. We’ve had a bit of a wasted season.

“Saudi Arabia is (also) one of the options for him, like last year.”