Saeed Bin Suroor enjoys winning streak at Longines International Racing Festival in Turkey

Returning from an absence of almost 300 days following his trip to Melbourne last year, Secret Number added to his trainer’s big-race double the previous evening with an authoritative display.

Under Gerald Mosse, Secret Number rounded the field on the turn for home and was a comfortable two length winner over runner-up Elbereth, who finished third in the same race 12 months ago, and Victory Is Ours in third this time around.

The Excel Racing team fronted by Southampton FC striker, Charlie Austin, enjoyed success in the Group 3 Trakya Trophy as Another Batt led the eight horse field home.

Ridden by jockey Oisin Murphy, Another Batt came out on top by holding off the charge of local hope Armondo in the straight by a length and a half to hand both the syndicate and trainer George Scott a first Group success.

Dream Castle became the first of Frankel’s offspring to race in Turkey but the stallion will have to wait a little longer for a first winner after German raider Wonnemond swooped late to win the Group 2 International Topkapi Trophy

Saeed Bin Suroor was hoping to win every race in which he had runners and Dream Castle was a good prospect for success and went in as favourite under Gerald Mosse. However Wonnemond, under Daniele Porcu, had other ideas and picked him off down the centre to win by a length and deny Britain a clean sweep of the thoroughbred Group races, with Yildirimbey two lengths back in third.

Saeed Bin Suroor had bagged a Group-race double on the opening day of the Longines International Racing Festival in Istanbul.
Leshlaa kicked off the double with a win in the Group 2 France Galop FRBC Anatolia Trophy on the Polytrack.

The three-year-old was not suited by the steady tempo and took plenty of time to get going in the straight, as Cerastes made a bold bid for home. However with Jimmy Quinn at the helm, Leshlaa turned it on just in time and took the honours by a length and a half from the local hope.

Absolute Blast had been up with the pace set by Cerastes and took third with last year’s winner Belgian Bill also arriving on the scene late on.

The double was completed in the International Istanbul Trophy as race favourite Arabian Hope came good.

Ridden by jockey Mosse, the anticipated victory over four local runners was not without its anxieties as the pair found themselves boxed in on the rail by Cheri Cheri Lady and Tatvan Incisi for much of the home straight.

However Mosse found a gap and pushed Arabian Hope through to win with authority by a length and a half. Cheri Cheri Lady came in a deserved second with Willpower third