Saudi Arabia: The Bob Baffert-trained pair of Country Grammer and Taiba are set to be the sole US contenders in the world’s richest race, the Saudi Cup, on February 25 in Riyadh.
Probable fields for Saudi Cup card
Likely runners for the $35.35 million two-day Saudi Cup meeting on February 24-25 were announced on Friday [Feb 10], with horses from 15 different racing nations set to compete. However, they do not include Algiers, impressive winner of the first two legs of the Al Maktoum Challenge at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
King Abdulaziz racecourse in will host 16 races on its dirt and turf tracks, with five nations set to be represented in the $20m main event – including last year’s winner, the home-trained Emblem Road, who will be ridden by Panamanian jockey Alexis Moreno.
Japan fields six Saudi Cup runners, headed by Champions Cup (former Japan Cup Dirt) winner Jun Light Bolt (Ryan Moore). Also set to run is Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa, Cafe Pharoah (Joao Moreira), Crown Pride (Damian Lane), Geoglyph (Christophe Lemaire) and Vin De Garde (Mickael Barzalona).
Frankie Dettori rides Dubai World Cup hero Country Grammer, runner-up in last year’s contest and now joined by Baffert-trained stablemate Taiba,dominant winner of the G1 Malibu when last seen.
Saudi Cup: owner Amr Zedan set to fire two Baffert bullets with Taiba and Country Grammer
Dual British G1 winner Saffron Beach (William Buick) is the only European challenger, while Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup winner Scotland Yard joins Emblem Road for the domestic defence.
The Saturday card in Riyadh features a further six Group races. Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power and Gunite represent a formidable US challenge in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, in which Japan’s Dancing Prince will defend his crown.
Baffert’s Havnameltdown looks a leading contender in the $1.5m Saudi Derby on dirt but Europe looks set to launch a formidable assault on the G3 Neon Turf Cup headed by Missed The Cut, who will be ridden by former Oisin Murphy as he makes his comeback after suspension.
The John & Thady Gosden team fields Mostahdaf here, plus Trawlerman in the Red Sea Handicap, where 2021 Asxot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist is set for his long-awaited return to action.
Japanese-trained Songline bids to complete back-to-back successes in the 1351 Turf Sprint against rivals including Godolphin’s Creative Force. A really strong field – better than G3 status suggests – will also feature Casa Creed, twice a G1 scorer at home in the US since coming a neck second 12 months ago.
Also lining up are top-level Japanese winners Resistencia and Lauda Sion plus Bathrat Leon, who won the G2 Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup card.
The Friday card sees 16 of the world’s top international riders – seven female and seven male – compete in the International Jockeys Challenge. Jockeys including Frankie Dettori, Joao Moreira, Luis Saez, Yuga Kawada and last year’s winner Caitlin Jones will compete for a jockeys’ prize fund of $100,000.
• Likely fields for Saudi Cup meeting
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