Caulfield Cup winning trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has his sights on stopping Winx in Cox Plate

GODOLPHIN trainer Saeed Bin Suroor collected the first major trophy of the spring carnival after Best Solution's Caulfield Cup triumph, and his next goal is ending Winx's shot at history in the Cox Plate. RE-CAP ALL THE ACTION 

Racegoers enjoy themselves on Caulfield Cup Day.

SAEED Bin Suroor arrived in Melbourne early this carnival  and hasn’t jetted back to the UK like he might usually do between spring majors.

He hasn’t left the side of Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution and stablemate Benbatl, the Caulfield Stakes champion who is now set for a meeting with the mighty mare at the Valley.

The punters should have seen it as a sign.

A brilliant ride by stable jockey Patrick Cosgrave aboard Best Solution ($12) ensured a second Caulfield Cup for Bin Suroor, 10 years after his first with 50-1 shot All The Good.

With his trademark sunglasses not budging, the 52-year-old said he loved Australian racing.

“He’s improved a lot this year, mentally, physically he’s a better horse than ever, that’s the reason why I have confidence (about the Caulfield Cup), ” Bin Suroor said.

“Before the race I said if you sit third/fourth, I’m sure you’ll win the race.

“And luckily when I saw him there, close, I thought, I’m sure he’ll win.

“ … He’ll be ready for the Melbourne Cup.”

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor with Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution. Picture: AAP

The former policeman and hobby trainer was handpicked by Godolphin boss Sheikh Mohammed to lead his operation about 25 years ago, and has more goals this spring.

“She’s a great filly (Winx), I have a lot of respect for this filly,” he said of next week’s Cox Plate.

“My horse (Benbatl) if he win it’d be great, if she wins, she’s the best of the best.”

Goldophin's media man Jim McGrath said Bin Suroor was a tactical master and had set Best Solution and Benbatl for glory in Australia.

“These two horses he has pinpointed them very, very early in the year as his Melbourne horses and he was adamant he was going to come back to Melbourne with horses that could win big races,” McGrath said.

“If you look at the way the program’s been planned in Europe, he’s found exactly the right targets for them.

“ … Full credit to Saeed, he spotted the two and if you had have asked him in March, he would have told you that.”

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