September, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ghaiyyath, Magical Remain On Course For Epic Battle In Oct. 17 Champion Stakes

A star-studded cast remains on course for the 10th running of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, Oct. 17 after the latest forfeit stage on Tuesday.

This includes a record number of acceptors at this stage for the headline race of the day and the most valuable race this year, the QIPCO Champion Stakes, with 29 standing their ground.

The most valuable raceday in Great Britain this year remains on the cards for a string of headline acts including the world's highest-rated racehorse, Ghaiyyath, who could take his place in the QIPCO Champion Stakes against Magical, bidding to become the first horse to win a race at three different QIPCO British Champions Days.

Also still engaged are other equine A-Listers including Palace Pier, Kameko, Mishriff and Fancy Blue together with the Arc-bound trio Enable, Love and Stradivarius.

QIPCO British Champions Day features four Group 1 races, a Group 2 and a competitive mile handicap.

In total, 38 Group 1 winners remain entered and, between them, they have accumulated 84 victories at the highest level.

David Egan is counting down the days to the biggest ride of his short career, when he is due to be reunited with ante-post favorite Mishriff in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.

It has been a difficult year for most of course, but being unable to partner Prince Faisal's hugely progressive colt in either the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly or the Prix Guillaume D'Ornano at Deauville has made it especially difficult from a professional point of view for former champion apprentice Egan – not that he is one to dwell on the negatives.

The 21-year-old, who missed the French Derby owing to coronavirus travel restrictions and then Deauville through an untimely suspension, said: “Everyone has been affected by coronavirus and there are much more important things to worry about than missing those rides. That kind of thing goes with the job, and I'm just delighted that Mishriff has gone on to prove himself a champion and that I'm lucky enough to be able to get back on him.”

It would be perfectly understandable if Egan watched Mishriff's French wins with mixed feelings, but he said: “Look, I'm retained by Prince Faisal and so I want his horses to do as well as they can, whether I'm the one riding them or not. I was over the moon watching Mishriff win the French Derby, thinking I'd be able to ride him next time, and then it was just unfortunate I couldn't get back on him at Deauville. But I've had some good days on him, and hopefully there will be many more.”

Egan grew up in a family steeped in racing, as a son of jockey John Egan and trainer Sandra Hughes, a nephew of three-time champion jockey Richard Hughes, and a grandson of the legendary Dessie Hughes, so he is unlikely to be troubled by big-race nerves at Ascot.

He has complete confidence in Mishriff and he is excited at the possibility of winning such a prestigious race on such a huge occasion.

He said: “I rode Mishriff for the first time when he won by ten lengths at Nottingham last year, and then I was on him again when he was a good second in the Saudi Derby, when he made up a lot of ground in the straight after being a bit slow out of the gates.

“When we went to Newmarket in June most people seemed to be expecting his stable-mate Waldkonig to win, but Mishriff showed he was still improving by winning really well. He's gone on improving since, and it's been great to see. It's a privilege to ride him.

“He's so straightforward and he really tries for you. He's got a very low head carriage and he just eats up the ground. He's gone on good going, he's gone on bottomless ground and he's gone on dirt, so he's very genuine and versatile.”

The QIPCO Champion Stakes has long been Mishriff's target and John Gosden is optimistic of a third win in the race following two wide-margin victories by Cracksman.

Mishriff sets a high standard and Egan is well up to the task.

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Enbihaar Retired After Sustaining a Minor Injury

MGSW & G1SP Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}– Chanterelle {Fr}, by Trempolino) has been retired due to injury, Shadwell’s Racing Manager Angus Gold announced on Tuesday. The John Gosden trainee and 2019 English Highweighted Older Mare at 14 furlongs and above was pointing for this weekend’s G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu.

“Enbihaar will miss the Royallieu as she is currently at Shadwell Stud,” said Gold of the €500,000 Arqana August yearling. “She had a minor injury, and as a result has been retired–very sadly. She’s been an absolute star, and I wish we had a few more like her–with her enthusiasm and ability.

“It was sad not to win a Group One. But she did very well to win what she did, and she was a real torch-bearer for us for the last few years. She was beautifully trained–I must say that. It’s very sad, but it was fantastic to keep her in training this year to win a couple more group races. She’s given us a lot of fun, and obviously we’ll give her a proper chance at stud.”

A winner of the G2 Lancashire Oaks, G2 Lillie Langtry S. and Doncaster’s G2 Park Hill S. as a sophomore, the Haras du Mezeray-bred ran third in the 2019 Prix de Royallieu. A rare returning 4-year-old in these colours, she duplicated a victory in the Lillie Langtry S. and, in her final start, won York’s G2 Lonsdale Cup on Aug. 21. She retires with a mark of 12-7-1-2 and $636,973 in earnings.

Her dam is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Amonita (GB) (Anabaa), and a full to MGSW Cox Orange (Trempolino), herself the dam of G1 1000 Guineas third Vista Bella (GB) (Diktat {GB}). Besides Enbhihaar, Chanterelle has also thrown GSP Silent Attack (GB) (Dream Ahead) and SP King Bolete (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

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Saudi Cup: More Prize Money For 2021, No News Yet On Maximum Security Purse Payout

With the result of the 2020 Saudi Cup, won by Maximum Security, still under scrutiny, next year's event has been launched with a new date and more prize-money.

The two-day meeting, which showcases the $20 million world's richest horse race, has been moved forward a week to Feb. 19 and 20, 2021 and total prize-money for the eight-race card raised to $30.5 million from $29.2 million.

Yet still overshadowing the inaugural running of the Saudi Cup, in which Maximum Security defeated Midnight Bisou and Benbatl, is the controversial aftermath involving the the winner's then-trainer Jason Servis.

Servis was subsequently charged in the United States – alongside a number of others, including fellow trainer Jorge Navarro – with participating in manufacturing, distributing and administering misbranded substances to horses.

He has pleaded not guilty and Maximum Security, jointly owned by Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partnership, has been moved to Bob Baffert.

However following the developments the Saudi Jockey Club launched its own investigation and has withheld the distribution of the $10 million first prize money until inquiries have been concluded.

The issue was addressed by Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, at the 2021 Saudi Cup launch on Tuesday.

He said: “This is a very unusual situation, not something any of us predicted but it has happened. On a personal level I am quite emotional about this because I was really rooting for that horse after what it went through in the Kentucky Derby [in 2019, in which he finished first but was disqualified for interference].

“We are where we are and we have to have races based on our own rules and regulations. The prize money will be paid out. We have covered all prize money regarding the whole two days of the meet and Maximum Security is the only pending situation unfortunately.

“We are at the mercy of what's happening legally in the U.S. We understand they are addressing this. COVID-19 has not helped them move things along. I have seen some movement in the past weeks regarding this, and it will be resolved one way or another. Someone will be paid out this money, the question is who.

“I am personally very encouraged that the US is taking a more active and visible stance against prohibited drugs. I am very disappointed it affected the most important horse to us, the one that won the race.

“We are looking more in the range of a couple of weeks to two months maximum before this is closed on their end and then we can move on.”

The 2020 Saudi Cup has been rated the best dirt race run in the world over the last 12 months by Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, which Prince Bandar described as “an honor”.

Whether next year's race can take place at the King Abdulaziz racetrack outside Riyadh with fans present is uncertain.

“It's hard to overstate the success of Saudi Cup 2020 when you consider that in year one of a brand-new international racing event, we attracted some of the very best horses, trainers and jockeys in the world,” he said.

“We witnessed 22 individual Group or Grade 1 winners, who had accumulated an impressive 34 wins at that level between them. That would be an excellent statistic for even the most well-established race meetings in the world, let alone to have that calibre in year one.

“The only unknown factor is what is happening with COVID-19. We are quite confident this event will run very smoothly. The big question mark is will the global situation allow for spectators to come and enjoy this event or will it be a made for TV event and that is something none of us can answer at this point. We will take direction from the health authorities and go from there.”

Next year's card will remain an eight-race event with the Saudi Derby, the 3-year-old only dirt race in which Japan's Full Flat beat the subsequent French Derby winner Mishriff, the chief beneficiary of the purse increases, its value rising to $1.5 million from $800,000.

The International Jockeys Challenge, held the Friday before Saudi Cup, in which Lisa Allpress became the first woman to win a race in Saudi Arabia in 2020, will again feature 14 of the world's best jockeys, seven women, five international men and two Saudi-based jockeys, compete for a championship purse of $100,000 and 15 percent of prize money.

According to Prince Bandar there were now four women trainers operating in the kingdom and two female jockeys had started to ride on secondary tracks.

This article was originally published by Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at their website.

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Equibase Analysis: Pneumatic, Art Collector Both Poised To Upset Preakness Stakes

Overview: Kentucky Derby upset winner Authentic returns in the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes, with Derby third place finisher Mr. Big News trying to improve his finish, as well as Max Player and Ny Traffic who finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the race. Two horses that were expected to run in the Derby but did not, Art Collector and Thousand Words, appear to be legitimate challengers to the likely betting favorite. Art Collector won both the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby before a minor issue resulted in him passing the Derby. Thousand Words, who won the Shared Belief Stakes in August, briefly fell in the paddock before the Derby and had to withdraw. Other new shooters include the filly Swiss Skydiver, runner-up in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last month. Another potential contender is Pneumatic, winner of the Pegasus Stakes in August. Liveyourbeastlife was competitive at the level when second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes the first weekend of September, with Jesus' Team close behind in third in that race. Excession hasn't been seen since March but appears to fit as well off his second place finish in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes in his most recent start. However, that race was more than six months ago.

Contender analysis: In spite of Authentic winning the Kentucky Derby rather easily and gamely by a length and three-quarters, I think an upset is brewing and the horse which is capable of that upset is Pneumatic. In recent history, the Derby winner has won four of the last 10 editions of the Preakness when they have run in the race. However, that means there have been six occasions the Derby winner has been beaten. I'll take those odds, particularly this year where the number of horses who didn't run in the Derby appear to be every bit as fast as the Derby winner. Pneumatic is the most lightly raced horse in the Preakness field and I think that gives him an edge.

Starting his career in February, Pneumatic won first out in a sprint and has continued to improve, mature, and run faster in each race since then. After stretching out to a mile in his second start in April, Pneumatic improved again when third in the Matt Winn Stakes and even when fourth in the Belmont Stakes in June took another step forward. His pattern of Equibase Speed Figures from his debut through the Belmont (90, 96, 98, 101) denotes a 3-year-old getting physically and mentally stronger with each and every race. Then, in the Pegasus Stakes in mid-August, Pneumatic took a drastic step forward to earn a 113 figure. Putting that figure in perspective, Authentic earned a 109 figure in the Derby while Swiss Skydiver earned the same 109 figure when runner-up in the Kentucky Oaks. Thousand Words' 107 figure in the Shared Belief and the 104 figure Art Collector earned in the Ellis Park Derby were both lower as compared to Pneumatic. Then there's the matter of this mile and three-sixteenths distance. Aside from the fact Swiss Skydiver won the Alabama Stakes and Authentic won the Kentucky Derby at the distance of one mile and one-quarter, no other horse has won at the distance. However, Pneumatic is by Uncle Mo, and per STATS Race Lens Uncle Mo has sired the most stakes race winners at distances from nine and one-half to 10 furlongs compared to all the other sires of Preakness entrants. Trained by North American leading trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 (Curlin) and in 2009 (Rachel Alexandra), if Pneumatic continues to improve as it appears he should, he could win the Preakness at high odds.

Art Collector, who was likely to be the second betting choice behind Tiz the Law in the Derby, did not enter the race when sustaining a mild injury to his heel prior to the race. That might have been the best thing to happen to this immensely talented colt, as he's come back to put in three superb workouts. This suggests Art Collector is in the same top form he has demonstrated since returning from five and one-half months off in May and winning four straight races. After a dominant victory in the Blue Grass Stakes in July with a 102 figure, he ran even better in the Ellis Park Derby with a 104 figure. In both those races, Art Collector was drawing off at the end, suggesting he's a horse which should have no issues with the added sixteenth of a mile in the Preakness. Having the ability to win on the lead or from off the pace, Art Collector is likely to be in the thick of the action in the Preakness from the start and right down to the finish line.

Authentic has been nearly perfect in his career, winning five times and finishing second once. After taking the Haskell Stakes with a career-best 109 figure in July at one mile and one-eighth, Authentic repeated the effort with the same figure in the Derby while leading from start to finish. Considering his last four wins have been earned when leading from start to finish, there is some concern as to what will happen if other horses decide to contest him for the lead. Stablemate Thousand Words (also trained by Bob Baffert) led from start to finish in the Shared Belief Stakes last month and might try to battle for the lead in spite of Baffert's strategy to the contrary, particularly since he is adding blinkers. Art Collector, Ny Traffic and Swiss Skydiver could all be hot on Authentic's heels from the start as well. Still, his Derby effort was very good and any improvement off that race could make him a formidable opponent in the Preakness.

Swiss Skydiver will try to repeat the feat of another filly, Rachel Alexandra, who won the Preakness in 2009 after competing in the Kentucky Oaks. Rachel Alexandra won the Oaks, while Swiss Skydiver finished second in the race this year, but Swiss Skydiver ran the best race of her career in doing so, earning the same 109 figure Authentic did one day later winning the Derby. Prior to that, Swiss Skydiver won the 10 furlong Alabama Stakes in handy fashion and it's possible the return of a 19 day layoff may have been too quick of a turnaround. Rested four weeks this time, Swiss Skydiver has come back to put in two very strong workouts and I expect the filly to be very competitive in this race.

The rest of the Preakness Stakes field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures is Excession (100), Jesus' Team (109), Liveyourbeastlife (107), Mr. Big News (105), Max Player (105), Ny Traffic (109) and Thousand Words (107).

Win contenders:
Pneumatic
Art Collector
Swiss Skydiver
Authentic

Preakness Stakes – Grade 1
Race 11 at Pimlico
Saturday, Oct. 3 – Post Time 5:36 PM E.T.
One Mile and Three Sixteenths
For 3-Year-Olds
Purse: $1 Million
TV: NBC 4:30 – 6 PM ET

You can get Ellis' full card detailed analysis and betting recommendations for all the races at Pimlico on Preakness Stakes Day – Saturday, Oct. 3 at Equibase.com, TrackMaster.com and most online wagering sites.

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