Head Answering Saudi Call

In the annals of the international turf, the story of Freddy Head must feature among the most remarkable.

He recorded a rare enough feat when winning back-to-back GI Breeders' Cup Miles aboard Miesque (Nureyev) in 1987 and 1988-she was the first horse to win twice at America's premier international meeting-but Head outdid even his own historic accomplishment when, as a trainer, he sent out the Wertheimers' Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) from his Chantilly base to win that same race in 2008, 2009 and 2010-she remains the only horse to win three times at the Breeders' Cup.

Head takes another crack at history on Saturday when-10 years removed from Goldikova's historic third victory at the Breeders' Cup–he sends out Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the inaugural $2.5-million Longines Turf Cup over 3000 metres, the richest of three turf races on the undercard of the $20-million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Head handles the 6-year-old gelding Call The Wind for another internationally recognized owner-breeder, George Strawbridge, and the chestnut is coming off a fruitful if frustrating season of placed efforts in France in 2019 while strapped with a weight penalty for his win in the 2018 G1 Prix du Cadran. Call The Wind was last seen finishing second in the nearly two-mile G1 Prix Royal-Oak on Oct. 27.

“He is a very consistent horse,” Head said. “Last year was a bit frustrating, though. He was unlucky a couple of times and had to carry a lot of weight. In France, when you win a Group 1 race, you have to carry a lot of weight.”

Call The Wind showed the ability to travel when finishing third in last year's G2 Dubai Gold Cup behind the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).

“He ran a good race at Meydan,” Head said. “I think I have a better horse this time. I think he is in better shape. In fact, the plan was to go to Dubai again this year, but then when I saw this race I said, 'well, that is the race we should try.' There is of course a lot of money to be won.”

This time around, Call The Wind gets a three-pound weight break from Cross Counter, who will be a formidable foe coming off a sneaky good eighth in the latest renewal of the Melbourne Cup in November.

“I think the ratings are pretty fair,” Head said. “Judging by the Godolphin horse, who I was giving a lot of weight last year, this year it is the other way round, which gives me a chance.”

Call The Wind will be piloted for just the second time by Olivier Peslier, who was in the saddle for all three of Goldikova's wins at the Breeders' Cup.

“My horse likes a bit of give in the ground and Olivier Peslier, who came here a couple of weeks ago to ride on the track, told me that the track was very good, not too firm,” Head said. “I hope there will be enough pace in the race, as my horse is a true stayer. We will keep him handy and in a good position. Obviously, I would love to see some speed in this race.”

That speed could be provided by Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}), who adds blinkers for the first time off a fifth-place finish, beaten two lengths, in the Listed Meydan Cup on Jan. 30. Dee Ex Bee breaks from gate five, one to the outside of Call The Wind and carries co-top weight with Cross Counter of 136 pounds.

“We're going to add blinkers on him,” said trainer Salem bin Ghadayer. “That will help him and I think he will be fine. He has a lot of speed and will have no problem [going to the front], but he also can track another horse just fine. We gave him the one race at [owner] Sheikh Hamdan [bin Mohammed]'s request, and I must thank him so much for that, because the horse has come back from that race and we have seen a lot of improvement.”

Called To The Bar (Ire) (Henrythenavigator) joins Call The Wind on the trip over from France. Pia Brandt's 6-year-old gelding won the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and the G3 Prix Gladiateur last season but must improve off a fifth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase on Dec. 8. Prince of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) was back in 11th in that same contest, and that was off another productive globetrotting campaign where he beat the Vase seventh True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) in the G3 Geelong Cup and finished second, beaten a quarter-length, in the Melbourne Cup. Prince of Arran carries 131 pounds to the mare True Self's 127, with True Self having bounced back from defeat in the Geelong Cup to win the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. at Flemington three weeks later. True Self breaks from gate 12, and trainer Willie Mullins said, “Ideally, we would have preferred to be drawn a bit closer to the inside but I spoke to Frankie [Dettori] about the track and he has ridden there plenty of times on the dirt and knows the ins and outs of the track very well so that is a plus.”

The card kicks off with the $1-million The Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup over 2100 metres on the turf, where last year's G1 Nassau S. winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) looms large as the 4-5 favourite. The 6-year-old mare has not been disgraced in defeat in her three tries since her historic win at Glorious Goodwood, finishing fourth in the G1 Irish Champion S., third in the G1 Champion S. and fourth in the Hong Kong Vase. Deirdre is drawn in gate two, something assistant trainer Yoshitake Hashida said suits him just fine.

“She was a bit keen when preparing for her last start in Hong Kong but she is very calm here,” he said. “The draw is fine with us since she will come from behind and the field [nine runners] is kind of small; we were not too worried about it.”

Breaking one spot to Deirdre's inside is Flaxman Stables and the Coolmore partners' Mount Everest (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The 4-year-old was a dismal last in the Hong Kong Vase but has some promising back form. He missed the first half of his 3-year-old campaign but won a listed race over 1800 metres at Leopardstown in October two weeks before running a close sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Mount Everest is out of another of the Niarchos Family's Breeders' Cup Mile winners, Six Perfections (Fr) (Celtic Swing {GB}).

“He seems very comfortable in and around that mile and a quarter trip and he takes his traveling and racing very well, which is just what you want,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien.

An intriguing horse at a bit of a price is the 20-1 For The Top (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}). The 5-year-old joined Bob Baffert after winning the G1 Nacional S. in Argentina by five lengths in November of 2018 and finishing third in the G1 Carlos Pellegrini at San Isidro. Three tries on the dirt in Southern California proved unfruitful, and the bay joined Salem bin Ghadayer in the UAE. His first-up run was a second to Saudi Cup contender Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Singspiel S. on the grass on Jan. 9. Unlike that three-time Group 1 winner he didn't make a successful transition back to the dirt in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 a month later, finishing a well-beaten sixth, but that first up run could be an indiction that the grass is where he wants to be.

Some of Royal Youmzain (Fr) (Youmzain {Ger})'s best numbers from seasons' past put him right among the contenders here, but more of a concern is a nine-race losing streak dating back to July of 2018.

Turf sprinters will get their chance in the $1-million stc 1351 Sprint Cup over 6 1/2 furlongs, and Sheikha Al Jalila's Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looms large as the 5-2 favourite after making the short trek over from Dubai. It was there at Meydan that the 5-year-old gelding won the G2 Al Fahidi Fort on Jan. 23 with his re-opposing stablemate Mubtasim (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) back in third. The favourite was handed no favours after drawing gate 12, but trainer Charlie Appleby was philosophical about the situation.

“Mubtasim's was a good draw in six because we know he goes forward,” he said. “On a track like that, I don't think with Glorious Journey that you're ever going to have an ideal draw because he's a hold-up horse and is never going to make life easy for himself. It might give William [Buick] the option, if he can get some cover, of coming around them a bit.”

Also unaided by the draw was King Malpic (Fr) (King's Best), who landed in the extreme outside 14, but trainer Thierry Lemer was taking it in his stride after arriving on track on Friday.

“He is relaxed and traveled well,” Lemer said of the 20-1 shot, who won the G3 Prix de Ris Orangis in July but was a well-beaten eighth in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois when last seen in August. “We have been to many places with him, so he is used to it. I like the look of the track. He hasn't got the best draw, as he has to start on the outside, but it looks like the track rises a bit at the start and that should suit him.”

Drawn between King Malpic and Glorious Journey in 13 is Suedois (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) who, like Glorious Journey, enters this off a victory at Meydan, having taken a mile turf handicap at second asking on Jan. 16. George Turner and Clipper Logistics's 9-year-old has shown no signs of ageing as of late, having hit the board in six of eight starts last season including a win in the G3 Supreme S. at Glorious Goodwood and a third in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile, which he won in 2017.

Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) breaks from gate 11 and makes his first start for trainer William Haggas after placing in three of his last four runs, including a second to Suedois in the Supreme.

Last year's G2 Lennox S. and G2 Park S. winner Sir Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) fared much better in gate eight, and the services of Ryan Moore should certainly be a bonus as well. The David Elsworth-trained 6-year-old was last seen finishing 10th in the Prix de la Foret in October.

“He feels great and has traveled well, having been out to Hong Kong before,” said Elsworth's traveling head lad Andrew Morris. “He has taken it all in his stride. He can be a little keen on the track but the boss is happy which is the main thing.”

Morris added after cantering the horse on Friday, “He's in brilliant nick.”

The Saudi Cup will be televised in the U.S. live on FOX Sports 1 at Noon ET (DIRECTV ch. 219, Dish ch.150) with the undercard airing on TVG. In the UK, it will be shown on Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV.

Click for the full Saudi Cup card fields.