Saudi Cup

The world's richest horse race contained plenty of international star power, with the likes of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) facing off with defending winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), G1 Champion S. victor Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), but in the end it was a new name written among the global racing elite with the locally trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) springing the upset in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. Though he has raced exclusively in Saudi...

Amr Zedan, who sat down with Nick Luck on the world feed of the Saudi Cup Day races Saturday, offered a passionate defense of his trainer and friend Bob Baffert, pledging to take their Kentucky Derby title defense of Medina Spirit (Protonico) all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court if necessary, using his substantial means to do so. "Myself, my means, my resources are at Bob Baffert's disposal," Zedan told Luck. "We are going to see this 'til the end, and if it takes going to the Supreme...

While a locally trained winner of the G1 Saudi Cup in Emblem Road (Quality Road) will go down as a great moment in the annals of the newest international race meeting, the prevailing story could just be the dominance by Japanese runners on the undercard. Fresh off big showings at the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International races, Japan brought a formidable squad to Riyadh and was rewarded with victories in the G3 Red Sea Turf H., G3 Neom Turf Cup, G3 Riyadh Cup and G3 1351 Turf Sprint. The...

Sunday Racing's group winner Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was up to the scrutiny on the world stage and delivered the G3 1351 Turf Presented By STC 1351 to Japan by a neck over American hopeful Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in Riyadh on Saturday. It was the second win on the night for jockey Christophe Lemaire and the Japanese contingent. The Listed Kobai S. went to Songline last January, and, after an unplaced run in the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas that April, she improved to second in the G1 NKH Mile...

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...

One of the greatest riders in the history of the Australian turf, Glen Boss, officially brought the curtain down on his illustrious career with a final victory aboard Raeed (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the second of four legs of Friday's stc International Jockey Challenge at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. But the veteran reinsman was outdone by his South Australia-based compatriot Caitlin Jones, with the pair finishing first and third. For her efforts, Jones earned first-place prizemoney of US$100,000. Jones, who calls Morphettville in Adelaide home, has been riding...

In the long story of the breed, there has never been a week's work remotely approaching the one Mandaloun (Into Mischief) bids to complete in the desert on Saturday. It opened with his formal elevation as winner of America's most prestigious race; and could conclude with him banking the biggest prize anywhere on planet Turf. As has come to seem wearyingly inevitable, nobody imagines that the first leg of this dazing double was necessarily concluded by the disqualification of Medina Spirit (Protonico). We proudly advertise the GI Kentucky Derby as...

By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley A line-up worthy of its new Group 1 status, the Saudi Cup has attracted runners from seven nations, with Classic winners from two continents likely to be the leading players in the field of 14. The major fly in the ointment for defending champion Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) appears to be his draw in stall 14, but he wasn't much closer to the rail last year when winning from gate 12. He has really impressed in mornings this week, appearing relaxed and looking...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--Amr Zedan has a runner in the world's richest race staged Saturday in his home country of Saudi Arabia. The Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer (Tonalist), whom he part-owns with WinStar Farm and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, was not however the horse he had hoped to be running. Zedan's original intention was for Medina Spirit (Protonico) to be lining up in the country from which his name is derived, but the horse who finished first past the post in the last year's Kentucky Derby collapsed and died in December. On Monday...

Last year's G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) is reported to be in fine fettle by his co-trainer William Muir ahead of Saturday's G3 Neom Turf Cup, and though a positive Covid test has ruled Muir out of traveling to Saudi Arabia, he has been keeping close tabs on his stable star via video feed and through communication with his team on the ground, which includes his son-in-law and jockey Martin Dwyer. The 5-year-old Pyledriver won the Listed Churchill S. at Lingfield on Nov. 13 in his...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--In its short history, the Saudi Cup meeting has not been short of drama. It has also not been slow in ensuring Group 1 status, which it carries this year for the third running of the world's richest race.  It is a deserved uplift. Last year's winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), was a Classic winner coming into the race, and won another two Group 1s in Dubai and Britain following his success in Riyadh. What's more, he had the subsequent Breeders'...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--Defending champion Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will jump from the outside stall in the 14-runner field for Saturday's $20 million Saudi Cup. "Obviously it's not ideal," said the 5-year-old's co-trainer Thady Gosden after selecting barrier 14 for Prince Faisal's homebred. "But last year he was drawn in 12 before winning so hopefully on Saturday he'll jump well and get into a good place in the back stretch. It's a very competitive-looking renewal of the race. He comes here in good form and still shows plenty of enthusiasm."...