Godolphin jockey William Buick, who was slated to ride the Jan. 21 G2 Al Fahidi Fort hero Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saturday of the Saudi Cup meeting, has tested positive for Covid and will be off his mounts in Riyadh on Saturday. Also due to ride Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H., Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) in the G3 Saudi Derby and Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) in the G3 Riyadh Cup Sprint, Buick missed several rides at Meydan on Friday, as well. In Friday's G3 Dubai Millennium S., Buick had been booked for Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), but Andrea Atzeni finished second aboard the Godolphin runner instead.
For his Saudi Cup mounts, James Doyle will deputise for Buick on Naval Crown and Siskany, while Frankie Dettori has been called up to ride Noble Truth. In place of Doyle on Happy Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the 1351 Cup Sprint is David Egan. The regular rider of 2021 Saudi Cup victor Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Egan also picks up the ride on Copano Kicking for Buick in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Ginobili (Munnings) will be forced to miss the Sprint after emerging from his second gallop at King Abdulaziz unsatisfactorily. Trainer Richard Baltas told Daily Racing Form that the 5-year-old was lame in his left for, but that the first set of X-rays taken were negative. Results of a second set of images were pending and Baltas surmised that Ginobili would undergo a nuclear scan upon his return to America.
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