by Alan Carasso, Heather Anderson & Jill Williams
Following the Thursday scratching of Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro), Japan is left with a team of four as they look for back-to-back victories in the world's richest horserace, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
After fielding five starters in the first three runnings of the 1800-metre contest–a pair of sixth-place efforts were the best they could do–no fewer than a half-dozen jetted in from the Land of the Rising Sun 12 months ago, and the results were more than anyone could have reasonably expected. Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) made all from gate one, as his compatriots filled third, fourth and fifth placings. And, if anything, those on site this week are a collectively classier bunch.
Like Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) will try to parlay a placing in the G3 Saudi Derby into Saudi Cup success. The G2 UAE Derby winner and GI Kentucky Derby sixth, the chestnut was audaciously spotted first-up for six months in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and was getting to White Abarrio (Race Day) before time ran out. He reportedly suffered an eye injury in transit, and while connections can't be completely sure he'll run his race, the signs remain positive.
“The horse has got more mature, stronger I think,” said jockey Christophe Lemaire. “He knows the place so he was more focused on what he had to do this morning. He was very smooth, reacting very well when I put him a little bit under pressure. He was actually very good. He looks happy here so I'm very confident.”
Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) took advantage of his only previous trip to the Middle East to plunder last year's G1 Dubai World Cup and was scarcely disgraced in the Classic when fifth. He exits a defence of his title in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten at Ohi just 56 days after the Santa Anita effort, demonstrative of the toughness he's show over the past two seasons.
“He is very settled in and is fit and ready now,” said Masakazu Fukami, assistant to trainer Noboru Takagi.
Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) is Japan's reigning champion dirt galloper and earned his ticket to the Saudi Cup when overcoming the dreaded outside gate to take out the G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo on Dec. 8. While he controlled things from the front, getting there this time around is going to prove tricky, though he did win the G1 February S. from off the speed.
“We've enormous confidence in our jockey [Ryusei Sakai], in our last race we drew the very outside and a horse had never won from that position before,” Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney said at Wednesday's draw. “Lemon Pop overcame those odds. He's going to have to do it again but we'll see how it goes. It's a big ask for Lemon Pop, we're respectful of all.”
Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) was a decent fifth in this last year and the 2022 G2 UAE Derby hero continued his world travels by outclassing his rivals by 10 lengths in the G3 Korea Cup at Seoul last September before disappointing when only 11th at Chukyo.
The home team had just six runners in the first three Saudi Cups–including the victorious Emblem Road (Quality Road)–and for the second year running is represented by four entrants.
Defunded (Dialed In) was a dual Grade I winner for Bob Baffert in the States, but was recently acquired privately by Muhaideb Abdullah A Almuhaideb and makes his first start since finishing runner-up in defence of his title in the GI Awesome Again S. in late September. Former Baffert inmate Carmel Road (Quality Road) ran them off their feet in the King Faisal Cup over a mile Jan. 13, while the most intriguing of the locals is Power in Numbers (Girvin), winner of four from five in Saudi, including the Jan. 27 King's Cup over course and distance, where he had Scotland Yard (Quality Road) a half-length back in second. The latter gained a run with the withdrawal of Meisho Hario.
Isolate (Mark Valeski), last year's G2 Godolphin Mile hero, is the lone representative from the nearby United Arab Emirates and was last seen annexing the G2 Al Maktoum Cup at Meydan on Dec. 29. He tries nine furlongs for the first time Saturday. He drew into the Saudi Cup once Aidan O'Brien re-routed Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) for Saturday's G2 Neom Turf Cup. –Alan Carasso
Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick?
John and Thady Gosden trained subsequent multiple Group 1 winner Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to an explosive seven-length drubbing of the G3 Neom Turf Cup field in 2023, and the father-son training duo are back for more with Jack Darcy (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), this time in the upgraded $2-million 2100-metre Group 2 over the King Abdulaziz grass course on Saturday.
Formerly trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, the French group winner was a 266,667gns pickup for Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz out of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. The 5-year-old gelding ran out of steam to take eighth in the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris in October.
“All good,” co-trainer Thady Gosden said. “He did some nice exercise on the dirt and so far his prep has gone as we would have hoped.”
The Coolmore partners' Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is a three-time Group 1 winner for trainer Aidan O'Brien. He was only a nose shy of added top-level victory number four in his final run of the season in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 10.
Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had German Pattern scorer Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) well in his wake in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy S. in November. The G3 Strensall S. hero, who races for a partnership including Sir Alex Ferguson, was a solid fourth to Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Jebel Hatta warming up for this on Jan. 26.
Trainer Richard Fahey said of the son of Frankel, “He did a very nice piece of work there last week. We'll have no excuses for him in terms of his preparation.”
King Power Racing's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a dual Pattern winner and fast-finishing second in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. last year, adds some intrigue to the race. The Andrew Balding trainee was a close third in his seasonal opener, an all-weather conditions race near the end of January.
“He's got here in great form,” training representative Anna Lisa Balding said. “We're delighted with his position in gate six and Oisin Murphy is back on and he rides him so well.”
Naturally Japan has thrown their weight behind a trio of runners in this undercard affair, and leading them is Carrot Farm's Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The G1 Hopeful S. winner rallied mildly to take fourth over 2000 metres in the G2 Chunichi Shimbun Hai on Dec. 9, a race he won in 2022. The added real estate could be right up his alley, and he partners with Cristian Demuro from stall five. –Heather Anderson
Japan's Bathrat Leon Aims to Defend 1351 Turf Sprint Title
Thrust onto the international stage in 2022 when he captured the G2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai, Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) kicked off a landmark day for his home country in 2023 when he won the G3 1351 Turf Sprint–which has been upgraded to a Group 2 this year worth $2 million and is now presented by Saudi National Bank–as the first of three Japanese-bred and -trained group winners on the Saudi Cup card. He's back this year for an attempt to defend his title in the 1,351-metre, or about 6 3/4-furlong, event.
Yoshito Yahagi's assistant Yusaku Oka indicated Bathrat Leon had done all his preparations at home and is not being asked for much during training in the days leading up to the Turf Sprint.
“He is tuning up for the race and is very well,” said Osa earlier this week. “Hopefully he keeps good form until the race.”
Japan sends four to the Turf Sprint this year, including Aguri (Jpn) (Caravaggio). The G3 Hankyu Hai winner has been in the mix in his last few and will be reunited with Christophe Lemaire, who piloted him to a third in the G2 Hanshin Cup two back.
Tim Easterby's striking grey veteran Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) aims to make it a fifth consecutive year of adding at least one group win to his CV. He's been freshened since October after his biggest lifetime score: victory in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot.
“He is a wonderful little horse, the perfect gentleman and we're lucky we've got him,” said Easterby. “He has run well on fast ground, he has run well on heavy. He goes on quick ground no problem–but when they win on a bog one day they get a name for it–but this is a great track and we're looking forward to it. I'm always confident when he runs because he can gallop.”
Godolphin homebred and Canadian Grade I winner Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is in form for Charlie Appleby with two Meydan wins, including the G2 Al Fahidi Fort, separated by just a week last month. Yeomanstown Stud's Dark Angel is the sire of not just Art Power and Mysterious Night, but two others–Dr Zempf (GB) and Raaed (Ire)–also in the field. Neither has found the winner's circle since early last year, but Dr Zempf competed in a couple of Grade Is in America and Raaed finished third in the 2023 edition of this race behind Bathrat Leon. —Jill Williams
Forever Young Full of Potential For Japan, Yahagi
Japan won the first two renewals of the G3 Boutique Group Saudi Derby with the Hideyuki Mori-trained Full Flat (Speightstown) and Pink Kamehameha (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) and filled the second and third slots in 2022 ahead of Derma Sotogake's effort last winter.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi is the leading trainer at the Saudi Cup, his two victories in 2023 taking him to three overall, and he'll tighten the girth around the exciting Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). By a full-brother to Yahagi star Loves Only You (Jpn), the 3-year-old hails from the family of champion Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn), but his immediate female side is all American dirt and he has run brilliantly over the surface. He is perfect in three tries, including a towering seven-length score in the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in December and will jump a hot favourite with Ryusei Sakai up.
“Forever Young has a good chance in the Saudi Derby,” said the rider, who guided Yahagi's Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in last year's G3 1351 Turf Sprint. “He has huge potential that even I can't imagine.”
Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) in 2022 is the lone U.S.-based Saudi Derby winner to date, and there are arguments to be made for each of the American runners this time around. Book'em Danno (Bucchero) took his career mark to four wins from five outings with a 12 1/2-length romp in the Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 13 and although his lone blemish to date came over Saturday's 1600-metre distance, he found himself on the lead on that occasion and was outfinished in the Nashua S. while full of run through the line.
Bentornato (Valiant Minister) ran the table in his first four starts, including a pair of stakes wins against Florida-bred competition, but he failed to see out the 1700-metre trip in the In Reality S. on Dec. 2 and cuts back to one turn here.
Commissioner King (Commissioner) won this for Saudi Arabia last year and perhaps the best chance among the locals comes in the form of Haayeet (Outwork), a maiden winner at first asking over 1400 metres Dec. 26 and a 1 1/2-length winner when dropped back to 1200 metres last time. Leading jockey Camilo Ospina has the mount. —Alan Carasso
Japanese Hat Trick On The Table In Red Sea Turf
A quartet of Japanese horses have lined up to take on 10 challengers in their quest to collect the $2.5-million G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H. over 3000 metres on grass for the third year running after Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) (2022) and Silver Sonic (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) (2023).
The race sees Hirotsugu Inokuma's Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) the tip of the Japanese spear and he brings no stamina concerns. He delivered in the 3600-metre G2 Sports Nippon Sho Stayers S. two starts back in December–the same race Silver Sonic won before his Riyadh triumph–although his form has been hit-and-miss at times. Ridden by Cristian Demuro, the 7-year-old will be making his seasonal bow, while Yu Hirai's dual Group 3 winner Echt (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) is aiming to build on a seventh-place run in 2023.
Yoshito Yahagi is gunning for his second win in the race after Stay Foolish's 4 1/2-length triumph two years ago. He brings the lightly raced Koji Maeda-owned 4-year-old Libyan Glass (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who was fourth in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) in October and is stretching back out after a pair of fruitless 2400-metre tries.
“As he's abroad for the first time in his career, he has done well. He feels great, maybe greater than he is at home. He likes these surroundings,” assistant trainer Yusaku Oka said of his charge who is booked for gate nine with Yuga Kawada to ride. “I hope this experience is going to be his big advantage for him in future and also I really hope he runs well.”
Only 2 1/2 lengths back of Silver Sonic at the wire in 2023, Tracey Bell and Caroline Lyons's Enemy (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) was kept busy with 11 starts as a 6-year-old, and is already rounding back into form, with a head victory over Southwell's all-weather on Jan. 25, two better than the Grade I-placed The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}).
Scuderia la Tesa's G2 Yorkshire Cup S. hero Giavellotto (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was a close third in August's G2 Lonsdale Cup and enters the fray from stall eight coming off a six-month break. Patrice Cottier has entered G1 Prix de Royallieu bridesmaid Diva Donna (Fr) (Cima De Triomphe {Ire}), and she carries once of the lightest weights in the 14-horse field at 128 pounds while drawn in stall one. –Heather Anderson
Iron Barows | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
Desert Deja Vu as Trainer Trifecta from 2023 Dirt Sprint Back with Top Contenders
While this year's renewal of the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint lacks the star power of the 2023 edition, a dozen will line up to take a shot at the $1.5-million purse, including Bill Mott, trainer of two-time American champion and winner of last year's renewal, Elite Power (Curlin). This year Mott brings Bold Journey (Hard Spun), whose upward trajectory includes his last three straight, all at this 1200-metre distance on the dirt. His American speed figures hit the highest marks of his career in that win troika while he also tallied his first graded score as he toted three pounds more than he'll be asked to carry here.
“He is a late-developing horse that has rounded into a nice sprinter on the dirt,” said Mott. “He has won his last three starts, two of them stakes races. In his recent wins, he has been held up off the pace to finish strongly in the stretch and I guess we can expect the same tactics again. My team there tell me that he has arrived in good shape and is training with plenty of good energy.”
Trainer Steve Asmussen, second in this event last year with Gunite (Gun Runner), takes another crack at the winner's circle with Skelly (Practical Joke). The graded-winning gelding is on a seven-race win streak, all at 1200 metres, with all but one at his home track in Arkansas. He's tossed up bigger speed numbers than his fellow American and the two, who have never faced each other back home, make an intriguing match half a world away.
Remake (Jpn) (Lani) threatens to have something to say about the outcome and looks to improve on his third in this event last year. The well-traveled entire, trained by Shintani Koichi, tried the 2023 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen after his stint in Riyadh, finishing a slow-starting fifth, and has since been first or second in four starts spread between Japan and Korea. Fellow Japanese contender Jasper Krone (Frosted) has dropped three Group 1s since October between Japan, the U.S., and Hong Kong, but Hideyuki Mori has long been accustomed to the international stage and this horse owns a pair of Group 3 wins at the distance in Japan. This will, however, be his first start on dirt.
No European trainer or horse is entered in the Dirt Sprint this year, while Rebellious Stage (Justify) ranks as one of the top local hopes. Undefeated in all five of his Saudi tries, including an romp over a track and trip prep on Jan. 26, he started his career in the U.S. for Brittany Russell. Albadah Abdullah has handled his conditioning since his move to the desert. —Jill Williams
To view the American-centric Saudi Cup preview by Alan Carasso, please click here.
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