The newest Grade 1 winner in the famous Godolphin silks is ARABIAN CROWN (Fr), a sleek, bay gelding who has improved by leaps and bounds in 2026 for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Yep, it was Godolphin and Appleby once again in one of Woodbine’s signature Grade 1 E.P. Taylor turf course races as Arabian Crown stormed to a 3 1/2 length win in the $750,000 CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (G1) on October 3. A trip to the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Keeneland racecourse could be next for the 5-year-old son of Dubawi (GB).
Arabian Crown, sent off at 7 to 5 in the compact, seven-horse field, was earmarked for a trip to Woodbine following his September 12 victory at Leopardstown in the Kilternan Stakes over 1 1/2 miles. The gelding led all the way in that race at 11 to 1, defeating the highly regarded Purview, who joined that rival on the plane to Canada. In a previous outing in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket, Arabian Crown was second by only half a length to his more illustrious stablemate Rebel’s Romance.
With Jamie Spencer coming over to ride the gelding for the first time, the instructions were simple; make the running from the start in what appeared to be a race lacking in pace. But Singspiel Stakes (G3) winner Tomasello and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson had the same plans and scooted away to a clear lead up the hill and into the backstretch over the turf listed as good, made a bit giving by the previous day’s rain.
“It was a little frustrating because I wanted to lead at an even pace but I knew that Tomasello was just going to keep coming with me, so I accepted it and slotted in behind,” said Spencer.
“The minute I got Arabian Crown back, Emma-Jayne [Wilson on Tomasello] geared right down in front. I didn’t want to ignite my horse, so we went pretty steady before I got going at the half-mile pole. He had his ears pricked in front, so he was getting a good breather.
The pace was certainly not fast, with splits of 24.44 and 50.97 slowing to 1:17.10 for six furlongs. Tomasello, trained by Mark Casse, hung in there as long as he could but Spencer and Arabian Crown quickened and opened a clear lead late on the final turn. Purview, owned by Juddmonte and trained by Dermot Weld, angled out for a chance at the leader and the third European invader, Ancient Egypt (Ire) was also in the hunt.
But Arabian Crown took off even while Spencer could be seen moving the gelding out to the middle of the turf course.
“Moving out in the stretch was the plan. When I walked the track earlier, they had been racing there and the rain yesterday made it quite uneven and squidgy. I thought that, if I swing off three or four horses, I would have fresh ground and it might help.”
At the finish, Arabian Crown was geared down and completed the race in 2:30.67, a time made a bit slow by the course condition. The grand old warrior Tawny Port, second in the International last year for Peachtree Stable, was along for second over Purview.
This was the fifth, and record, International for Godolphin which has won three of the last four runnings with Appleby as its trainer. Godolphin and Appleby have won four of the last five Woodbine Miles (G1) as well.
Appleby said, ““Obviously, we are delighted with the result and it was a great ride by Jamie. Arabian Crown has been very solid on his last three starts and perhaps we might let him take a shot at a Breeders’ Cup Turf.”
This was the seventh win from 14 races for Arabian Crown, who won three races in 2023 and his lone start in 2024, the Classic trial. He had a modest 2025 campaign with $84,000 in earnings but has been a better runner in 2026. He raced on Lasix for the first time in the International.
Bought for $615,608 as a yearling from breeder $ 0 GB Partnership, Arabian Crown is by Dubawi, one of the world’s great stallions and Arabian Crown is his 66th Group/Grade 1 winner.
The dam of the International winner, Dubai Rose (GB) by Dubai Destination, was a minor stakes winner in Germany and the foal of 2006 has had 13 named foals including a 2-year-old this year by Baaeed named Gemini. Dubai Rose has produced multiple Group 2 winner The Juliet Rose (an $871,000 yearling purchase).
Wagering on the 11-race International card was $6,206,152, down from $7.2 million a year ago.
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