Cover image by Mathea Kelley courtesy of The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Written by Melissa Bauer-Herzog
The second edition of the Saudi Cup raceday at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is set to take place on Saturday with eight races on tap at the course. Led by the US$20 million (AU$25.7 million) Saudi Cup, the raceday sees horses travelling from around the world for one of the richest days of racing.
Lonhro son returns to turf in Neom Turf Cup
Kicking off the card is the US$1 million (AU$1.28million) Neom Turf Cup over 2100 metres. Kodiac’s (GB) Al Hamdany (Ire) looks to add to the page of an Australian-based relative with his dam a half-sister former New Zealand resident Lovingly (GB) (Grand Lodge {USA}). That mare’s daughter Lady Severine (NZ) (Savabeel) is now in Australia, where she was most recently served by Dandino (GB) and has a Magnus yearling filly to come as well as three of racing age.
Lonhro’s Gronkowski (USA) finished 10th in last year’s Saudi Cup and is trying a different surface this year in the Neom Turf Cup. The 6-year-old has never won on turf but in limited tries did finish second to Group 1 winner Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) as a 2-year-old.
Acts Of Grace grandson in stc 1351 Saudi Turf Sprint
A half-brother to Saudi Cup runner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) could make it a very good Saturday for Australian resident Acts Of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}). A half-sister to top sires Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac from the family of Pride Of Dubai, Acts Of Grace foaled a Pride Of Dubai filly last August.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) lines up in the US$1 million (AU$1.28million) stc 1351 Turf Sprint on Saturday after finishing third in a Meydan Group 2 last month.
The 6-year-old gelding was third in this race last year after winning that same Meydan Group 2 before shipping back to England to make four starts with a win in a Listed stakes to his name in September. Glorious Journey is from the family of Fastnet Rock’s New Zealand Group 1 winner Age Of Fire. That runner’s dam had her first breeding season without a visit to Fastnet Rock in 2020 when going to his studmate Justify (USA).
Purchased at last autumn’s Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale for 320,000 gns (AU$638,400), Urban Icon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) is looking for his fourth career victory in the stc 1351 Turf Sprint. The 5-year-old entire’s dam is out of a half-sister to G1 Caulfield Cup-fourth Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) and Australian stakes winner Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Call The Wind looks to defend title in Red Sea Turf H.
Group 1 winner Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) returns to Saudi Arabia to run in the Red Sea Turf H. over 3000 metres, a race he won last year. That was one of three wins in five starts for the 7-year-old gelding last year, who was never worse than third in his campaign. Call The Wind is from the family as Australian stakes winners Glorious Sinndar (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}), Assign (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Observational (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with all three under his second dam.
Aiming for another try at the G1 Melbourne Cup later this year, Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) has a more immediate goal on Saturday. The 8-year-old is travelling to Saudi Arabia for the second time to try and go two better after finishing third behind Call The Wind in this race last year.
It will be the second start for the gelding since finishing third by 0.75l in last year’s Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Arran losing by the same distance in his 2021 debut.
Barbados (Ire) | Image by Neville Hopwood courtesy of The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Zhang Yuesheng is represented by Barbados (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) here, his first start since being gelded. The 5-year-old is a full brother to champion racehorse Maybe (Ire), who is also the dam of Coolmore Australia’s Classic-winning stallion Saxon Warrior (Jpn). A family full of black type, Group 1 winner Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) and Group 3 winner I’m Feeling Lucky (Bletchley Park) are among Australasian performers under his third dam.
Frankel's (GB) son Mekong (GB) was second by 2.5l to Call The Wind in this race last year and is looking to get that form back after two fifth place finishes in his last two starts. The gelding’s dam is a half-sister to retired Australian runner Warringah (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and the dam of recently retired Australian stakes winner Evangelist (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Red Verdon (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}) is another Australian visitor coming into this race, making his first trip outside Europe since his 2019 G1 Caulfield Cup run. The multiple Group winner is from the family of multiple Hong Kong stakes performers with his Choisir dam a half-sister to Peak Power (Ire) (Be My Native {USA) and his grandam a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 3 winner River Verdon (GB) (Be My Native {USA}).
Coming into this race off a win in January, Mildenberger (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) hails from the family of dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Group 1 Champagne S. winner Pasadena Girl (NZ) (Savabeel). The winner of seven of his 20 starts, he also finds Moonee Valley stakes winner Starcaster (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in his family.
Family affair in Saudi Derby
Godolphin runner Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) takes on the boys in the US$1.5 million (AU$1.92 million) Saudi Derby. The filly shipped to this race after winning her fourth straight race in the UAE 1000 Guineas by 7l over Mnasek (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) last month with that filly winning the G3 UAE Oaks by 6.5l on Thursday.
Soft Whisper is out of a half-sister to the dams of Listed Ballarat Cup winner Pilote D’Essai (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and G2 Chairman’s H. third Peribsen (Ire) (Lonhro). The family also includes Australian Group 3 winner Lunar Rise (Starcraft {NZ}), stakes winner Crafty (Manhattan Rain), and stakes-placed King Of The Dance (Animal Kingdom {USA}).
Sold for 55,000 gns (AU$109,725) at last autumn’s Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale, Round Six (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) traces his pedigree back to Mofida (GB) (Right Tack {GB}), whose descendants also include Horse of the Year Zafonic (USA) (Gone West {USA}), and French champion Regal Parade (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
The family has also provided multiple Group winners in New Zealand and Australia in G2 Herbert Power winner Amralah (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Group 3 winner Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Newcastle Gold Cup winner Disclaimer (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Group 2 winner and G1 New Zealand Derby-second Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), and Group 3 winner and G1 The Galaxy-third Easy Eddie (Super Easy {NZ}) among others.
Exceed And Excel son looks to strike in Saudi Sprint
A half-brother to Danny O’Brien-trained Murillo (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}), Matera Sky (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) looks to go one better than his second place finish in the US$1.5 million (AU$1.92 million) Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint over 1200 metres last year.
The Japanese-trained 7-year-old Matera Sky comes into the race after a second in a Japanese Listed race in November with the entire finishing first or second in three of his four starts after the 2020 Saudi Sprint.
Exceed And Excel’s Harry’s Bar (GB) makes his first start on dirt after a successful career on the all weather tracks in England and Ireland. The 6-year-old is a full brother to Group 3-placed Mazzini (GB) with the pair out of a full sister to Group 1 winner Frizzante (GB) (Efisio {GB}).
Australian connections abound in Saudi Cup
Second in last year’s Saudi Derby, Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) is back for a run at the US$20 million (AU$25.7 million) Saudi Cup. Mishriff proved to be a successful runner on both dirt and turf as a 3-year-old with a win in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club a few months later.
The colt is one of three stakes horses for Contradict (GB) (Raven’s Pass {USA}), a daughter of Group winner and Australian resident Acts Of Grace. Sold at last year’s Inglis Sydney Broodmare Sale, Acts Of Grace is a half-sister to top sires Invincible Spirit and Kodiac with Pride Of Dubai under Mishriff’s fourth dam.
Mishriff (Ire) | Image by Mathea Kelley courtesy of The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Multiple stakes winner Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) is making his dirt debut here two weeks after winning his second Listed Winter Derby Trial S. by 0.5l in early February. The entire is one of four stakes winners for Tanaghum (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), whose runners are led by Group 1-winning Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}), who won his Group 1 on the dirt.
Bangkok is also a half-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Ribchester (Ire), who stood at Haunui Farm in New Zealand last season after two years at Darley Australia in 2018 and 2019.
Bob Baffert trainee Charlatan (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) looks to be one of the favourites in this race after winning the G1 Malibu S. to end his 3-year-old season.
Charlatan is from the family of Dynamic Syndications' 2019 G1 Golden Rose S. fourth place finisher Yao Dash (Smart Missile) and has an ownership group that has multiple members familiar to Australian racing – SF Bloodstock, Stonestreet Stables, and Starlight Racing.
Charlatan (USA) | Image by Neville Hopwood courtesy of The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Bahrain International Trophy winner Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is one of four stakes performers for his dam Simawa (Ire) (Anabaa {USA}), who is a half-sister to Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge {USA}). Another half-sister has made an impact on the Australian racing scene with Sinndiya (Ire) (Pharly {Fr}) the grandam of the Sam Kavanagh-trained Australian stakes winner and Group 1-placed Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr. Fong {Ire}).
Making his first start since finishing 12th in this race last year, Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}) comes into this race with four wins and three other top three finishes in 12 starts with a placing in the German G2 2000 Guineas. Great Scot comes from the family of Australian Group 1 winner It’s Somewhat (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) and G1 1000 Guineas winner Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy {USA}).
