By Brian Sheerin
George Boughey's Missed The Cut (Quality Road) may have fluffed his lines but still the G3 Neom Turf Cup Sponsored By Altanfeethi went for export with fellow Newmarket-based trainers John and Thady Gosden landing the $1.5-million contest with Arc also-ran Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) sprinting clear under Jim Crowley.
John Gosden suggested after the race that the G1 Dubai World Cup could be next for Mostahdaf, a horse the team at Clarehaven Stables thought good enough to run in Europe's showcase race last autumn.
But this was the day where Mostahdaf came good on his initial promise by carrying the famous Shadwell Estate colours to a seven-length victory over Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Missed The Cut could only manage fourth after racing far too keenly.
Gosden said, “He did it perfectly. He had a nice draw and Jim used it. I think the track is quick and, if you are handy and have Mikael Barzalona [aboard Eagle's Flight (Ire) (Gleaneagles {Ire})] measuring the fractions, that's where you want to be; handy.”
He added, “Stunningly-good performance. We obviously know the family well and Sheikha Hissa has done wonderfully to keep these horses in training and her father would be so proud with what she has done with the stable. It's a Shadwell family and we have the sister and we have the brother who is a nice 3-year-old, so look, he's an improving horse and we're delighted with him.
“If he flies home in great form, obviously we came here with Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and then he went to Dubai, so he could run on Dubai World Cup night as well.”
Boughey was less sure where Missed The Cut would be off to next. The bitterly-disappointed trainer explained how the short-priced favourite was somewhat a victim of his own downfall after his early antics in the race.
“He probably did a little bit too much down the outside. It was no-one's fault and I think he might have travelled a little bit further than some of them. That's racing, isn't it. It's frustrating but he will be back.”
Boughey added, “He travelled down to post good and then was one who was throwing about. It didn't help him but, essentially, he's probably run a little bit below the form of his last race if you take the winner out of it.
“There's lots of different options for him but I was slightly hoping that we'd see a different horse today. We'll see how he is tomorrow and see where we go from there.”
A winner of the G3 Gordon Richards S. and G3 September S., Mostahdaf was unplaced in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Pedigree Notes
Part of Frankel's 108 stakes winners (76 group), Mostahdaf is bred identically to With The Moonlight (Ire), who won the G2 Balanchine at Meydan on Friday; her full-brother, the late Group 1 winner Dream Castle (GB); 2022 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs (Ire); and G1 Derby/G1 King George hero Adayar (Ire), who are all out of Dubawi mares.
Listed winner Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), herself a half-sister to GII San Gabriel S. hero and GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. second Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), is also the dam of the G1 Sun Chariot S. and G1 Falmouth S. heroine Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the winning Dark Angel (Ire) 3-year-old Mostabshir (GB), a juvenile full-brother to the winner and a yearling colt by Kingman (GB).
Group 1 winners and sire full-brothers Pastoral Pursuits (GB) and Goodricke (GB), both by Bahamian Bounty (GB), are under the third dam.
Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP SPONSORED BY ALTANFEETHI-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-25, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.24, fm.
1–MOSTAHDAF (IRE), 126, h, 5, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Handassa (GB) (SW-Ire), by Dubawi
2nd Dam: Starstone (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Star (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited; T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Jim Crowley; $900,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Eng, 13-8-2-0, $1,254,238. *1/2 to Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eur & Eng at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng, $409,959. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Dubai Future (GB), 126, g, 7, Dubawi (Ire)–Anjaz, by Street Cry (Ire). O/B-Godolphin; T-Saeed Bin Suroor; J-Daniel Tudhope; $300,000.
3–Flying Visit (Ire), 126, g, 5, Pride Of Dubai (Aus)–Fionnuar (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). (28,000gns HRA '21 TATAUT). O-Alfathwa Stable; B-J S Bolger; T-Sami Al Harabi; J-Ricardo Ferreira; $150,000.
Margins: 7, 5 3/4, 1 3/4.Odds: 9-5, 8-1, 55-1.
Also Ran: Missed the Cut, Eagle's Flight (Ire), Castle (Ire), White Moonlight, Star of Wins, Sir Busker (Ire), Byline (GB). Scratched: Peter The Great (GB). VIDEO
MOSTAHDAF bolts up for the Brits in the G3 Neom Turf Cup presented by Altanfeethi.
@thadygosden @JimCrowley1978 @hissa_hamdan @ShadwellStud #TheSaudiCup pic.twitter.com/BC6IiY0nWJ
— The Saudi Cup (@thesaudicup) February 25, 2023
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