First Strike To Japan On Saudi Cup Card

Fresh off major showings at the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International races, Japan brought a formidable squad to Riyadh for the Saudi Cup card on Saturday, and the nation lodged first blow with Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) leading every step of the way to take the G3 Neom Turf Cup.

The winner of a pair of Group 2s going a mile and a half and 2500 metres in 2020 as a 3-year-old, Authority was upped to two miles during the first part of his campaign last year. He was a neck second in the G3 Diamond S. at Tokyo before finishing down the field in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, and was subsequently dropped back to 2500 metres to defend his title in the G2 Copa Republica Argentina. He came on the international radar, however, with his second-place finish to superstar Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's Japan Cup, and was making his first start since on Saturday and his first international run.

Breaking on top and encouraged to stay there by Christophe Lemaire, Authority soon found himself in an easy canter on the lead as last year's G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) raced wide in midpack from his wide gate with the Aga Khan's Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) one path to his inside and America's Channel Cat (English Channel) behind them. Authority arrived at the top of the stretch traveling best and was never in danger, extending his lead to up to three lengths and ultimately hitting the line a length and a half clear of a mildly rallying pack that was led by Kaspar (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}), a former German runner now trained locally. Ebaiyra got up for third in her first start for trainer Francis Graffard following the retirement of Alain de Royer Dupre. There was drama further back as Channel Cat was squeezed between a tiring Pyledriver and a closing Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and came down, but both he and jockey Joel Rosario were deemed ok after the incident.

“I had the best horse in the race,” said Lemaire. “I settled the pace the way I wanted, without any pressure. Then he used his long acceleration and did the same he used to do in Japan. He was very comfortable and at the end his strength made the difference. I knew he could stay the trip very well. The ground is firm, which we wanted. The plan was to go to the front and it worked out. I knew he would be very relaxed. At about 2000 metres I let him go; he did very well.

“The Japan Cup is one of the best races in the world; my horse was beaten by a Triple Crown horse in Contrail. The level in Japan is very high so it gave me a lot of confidence running second that day.”

Trainer Tetsuya Kimura said after winning with his first overseas runner: “To win a race like this is unbelievable. It was a great ride from Christophe Lemaire from the front. It is the highlight of my career. We started thinking about this race when he finished second in the Japan Cup. He likes racing left-handed, so that was one of the reasons for coming here. All going well, he will go to Dubai next month for the Sheema Classic. I would like to thank the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia for giving us the opportunity to come here.”

Jockey Martin Dwyer said of Pyledriver, who eventually finished 11th of 13 finishers, “The draw hammered me–my only hope was there was so much pace in the race on paper and I hoped it would give me a chance to get inside, but it didn't, they went slow and I was trapped deep with no cover. I had no petrol left but it was no fault of the horse. We live to fight another day.”

Pedigree Notes

Authority comes from one of the top families in Japan as of late. His dam, Rosalind (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), is out of the GI American Oaks and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), and therefore Rosalind is a full-sister to G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) and Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Jpn), who has started his stud career remarkably well as the sire of three Group 1 winners from his first three crops including the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner Daring Tact (Jpn). Epiphaneia and Rosalind's siblings also include the champion 3-year-old and Classic-winning Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and champion 2-year-old Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Authority is one of 15 group winners for Orfevre, formerly a very popular runner in Japan and winner of the Japanese Triple Crown and two G1 Arima Kinens and twice runner-up in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP PRESENTED BY JAHEZ-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.72, gd.
1-AUTHORITY (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Orfevre (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rosalind (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S
                2nd Dam: Cesario (Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Kirov Premiere (GB), by Sadler's Wells
O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-C Lemaire; $900,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Jpn,
12-6-2-1, $4,126,374 . Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2-Kaspar (Ger), 126, h, 5, Pivotal (GB)-Kastila (Ger), by
Sternkoenig (Ire). O-Yousef Mohammed A Alturaif; B-Gestut
Rottgen; T-Mohammed Alhirabi; J-Riccardo Ferreira; $300,000.
3-Ebaiyra, 121, m, 5, Distorted Humor-Ebiyza (Ire), by Rock Of
Gibraltar (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-S.A. Aga Khan;
T-F-H Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon; $150,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Also Ran: Harrovian (GB), Grocer Jack (Ger), Flying Visit (Ire), Arctic Sound (GB), Passion And Glory (Ire), La Casa Tarifa (Ire), Solid Stone (Ire), Pyledriver (GB), Zuran Zuran (Arg), Eudaimonia (Fr). DNF: Channel Cat.
Click for the Racing Post chart and VIDEO.  Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.