Opinion Poll to quit Michael Jarvis' Newmarket yard for career in Dubai

By David Milnes
Updated: 19:24 EST, 2 December 2010

Top stayer Opinion Poll is to leave Michael Jarvis' Newmarket yard to continue his career in Dubai, where he is likely to join the Godolphin operation.

Owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, the four-year-old registered his biggest success for the Kremlin House team when overcoming subsequent Doncaster Cup winner Samuel in the Group 2 Lonsdale Stakes at York in August.

Prior to that Opinion Poll had landed Listed contests at both Nottingham and Chantilly and signed off with an excellent third to Gentoo on his first Group 1 assignment in the Prix Royal Oak at Longchamp in October.

Three-year-old stablemate Sajjhaa, winner of the Group 3 Premio Sergio Cumani in Italy on her latest star, is also expected to join Sheikh Mohammed's operation in the same shipment.

Affter making a winning debut in a ten furlong maiden at Sandown in May,the daughter of King's Best failed to get the trip when beating only one home in the Oaks.Dropped back in trip after that, Sajjhaa won a Listed contest at Bath in September before overcoming the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Aspectoflove at the San Siro the following month.

Jarvis said: 'Opinion Poll has had a good season in which he won a Group 2 and a couple of Listed races and is amongst a batch that are shortly to be transferred to Darley.His last run,when third in a Group 1 in France,would suggest he is one of the best stayers in Europe at the present time.'