Best I've got: Bin Suroor praises his leaders after Solution proves the answer

Saeed Bin Suroor is pinning his hopes on a small band of top-level performers to help him grab a share of the spotlight for Godolphin in the coming months after Best Solution captured his second Group 1 of the season in the Longines Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday.

Godolphin’s resurgence this year has been led by Charlie Appleby, who won the Derby with Masar, while the likes of Royal Ascot hero Blue Point, William Hill St Leger hopeful Old Persian, Nassau Stakes winner Wild Illusion and exciting two-year-old Quorto are all housed at Appleby's Moulton Paddocks.

After capturing Germany’s most prestigious race, Bin Suroor described Best Solution as one of his three 'leaders' alongside Dubai Turf winner Benbatl and Thunder Snow, winner of the Dubai World Cup, who he hopes can keep him competing for big races.

“I really have only three good horses in my stable: Thunder Snow, Benbatl and Best Solution – the rest are just horses,” he said. "These three are my leaders and they've run well for me in Dubai, in Europe and will hopefully do so in America and Australia as well.”

Best Solution lined up at Baden-Baden on a roll having landed the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting and the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin on his previous two starts.

With trusty ally Pat Cosgrave in the saddle, Best Solution sat handy alongside fellow British raider Defoe as Night Music, ridden by Oisin Murphy, set a sedate pace.

The race developed into a sprint down the two-furlong home straight with Iquitos, winner of the race in 2016, challenging Best Solution hardest, drawing alongside before wilting as the Godolphin runner found extra in the closing stages.

There was a late charge from Defoe into second but it was too little too late leaving Bin Suroor to claim a third victory in the race following Marienbard in 2002 and Mamool in 2003.

Best Solution will join the Appleby-trained pair Cross Counter and Hamada in Australia for the spring carnivals, and Bin Suroor added: “He ran very well. He did well to win at Newmarket and in Germany last time and did it very nicely today.

"The plan is now to go to Australia for the Caulfield Cup and then the Melbourne Cup. He’ll go into quarantine now in preparation for that.”

Defoe's trainer Roger Varian felt the steady pace was against his horse and said: "He ran a nice race and I think the lack of pace leading to a sprint in the short straight didn't help him.

"We'll take him home and make a decision about where to go next, there are no firm plans. He's very talented but he's always better on softer ground."

Murphy, fifth on Night Music in the big race, had earlier won the Group 3 juvenile contest on Quest For Moon, who beat the Mark Johnston-trained I'll Have Another by a neck.

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