Group 1-winning stayer Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) will point toward the Red Sea Turf H. on the Saudi Cup card on Feb. 26, with connections deciding against a winter campaign over hurdles.
Princess Zoe made a remarkable rise through the ranks last year after joining Irish trainer Tony Mullins, climbing from an official rating of 64 at the beginning of the season to 110 at the end, when she won the G1 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp. Though Princess Zoe went winless in five starts this campaign, she was runner-up to Subjectivist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, and was last seen finishing fifth behind Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in the latest renewal of the Cadran on Oct. 2.
“She's in light training, but we've decided not to go hurdling,” Mullins said. “I feel it wouldn't suit her, so we had her meeting and owners Paddy [Kehoe] and Philomena [Crampton] have agreed. We're considering the staying race at the Saudi Cup meeting–the Red Sea Turf. It is a handicap, but I think it's quite a tight handicap. We're going to train her with that in mind and hopefully go there. She's in light training the whole time and we'll just see how she does over the winter months.”
Mullins said Princess Zoe could be covered if she runs below par in Saudi Arabia.
“The way we're looking at it is if it doesn't work out in Saudi, we'll cover her, and if it does work out we'll aim for aim for the Ascot Gold Cup–that's sort of our rough plan at the moment. The track in Saudi should be good and level and we acted on good to firm at Ascot during the summer. I'm not a big fan of it [running on fast ground], but the timing is right as if it doesn't work out then she will probably be covered.”
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