Frankie Dettori | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dubai World Cup: Frankie Dettori Partners Saudi Arabian Entry Great Scot

If Frankie Dettori steers Great Scot to victory in the $12m Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline on Saturday, he will not only achieve an individual milestone in equaling Jerry Bailey's win record but will also score a historic first triumph in the race for Saudi Arabia.

A total of 24 Saudi Arabian runners have lined up for the race since its inception in 1996 but the closest to victory was the Jerry Barton trained Sei Mi, who got within four-and-a-quarter lengths of Street Cry in 2002.

Now Great Scot, an impressive third in last month's Saudi Cup, bids to address this deficit with Dettori gunning for a fourth Dubai World Cup win. The 2019 English and German Guineas runner was a Group 3 winner in the UK when under the care of Tom Dascombe.

“He ran a great race in The Saudi Cup last month, it's a good ride to get,” said Dettori, whose three Dubai World Cup victories came courtesy of Dubai Milennium (2000) Moon Ballad (2003) and Electrocutionist (2006). “The surface and trip will suit him and he's done nothing wrong in his prep for this race.”

The horse's owner, HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled, himself a horseman, was hopeful of a good result for Saudi Arabia.

“I'm particularly excited about this horse, he has really taken to the track and conditions in Riyadh and his form here has been so consistent,” he said. “I'm delighted he got to show how good he is against the internationals and the USA dirt horses.

“We are honored to receive the invite to the Dubai World Cup and to represent Saudi Arabia on the world stage and, you never know, perhaps bring home a first win for the country.

“Hopefully there will be many more opportunities for Saudi owners, trainers and jockeys to showcase their talents on the global stage in years to come.”

Trainer Abdullah Mishriff, who travelled to Meydan Racecourse, was upbeat about the gelding's chances: “He is a light horse, easy to get fit, quite straightforward. He is very sensitive and he likes his routine, likes his own groom with him all the time but he's settled in very well here.

“He has a smart mind and if you treat him well, he gives you absolutely 100%. We see this in his work and in his races. He was injured after breaking from the stalls in the Saudi Cup last year when he was struck into by another horse.

“It goes to show how tough he is that he even finished the race to be honest. He went on to win three races in a row after that and showed he is the proper horse that we have always thought him to be.”

Indeed, the son of Requinto has some solid form. He was a Group 3 winner in the UK, winning his maiden first time out and went on to win a novice and a Listed race as a juvenile. His 2-year-old career culminated with a great run in a strong renewal of the Vertem Futurity Trophy (Former Racing Post Trophy), finishing only one-and-a-quarter lengths behind Magna Grecia – who went on to win the English 2000 Guineas – and Phoenix Of Spain, the Irish Guineas winner.

Great Scot continued to keep the best of company into his 3-year-old career, finishing second to the classy Mohaather in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, a trial for the 2000 Guineas.

Also behind Great Scot in this race was Urban Icon, now under the same ownership and stable of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled in Riyadh and heading the field in the Godolphin Mile on Saturday.

After decent runs in two European Classics, Great Scot was bought privately by Ted Voute on behalf of Prince Faisal.

“He ticked all the boxes for what we were looking for,” said Voute. “He was a high-class individual and had the profile for Saudi. He could handle cut in the ground, which is always a good sign that the dirt track in Riyadh would suit.”

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David Egan ‘Very Excited’ To Reunite With Saudi Cup Winner Mishriff For Dubai Sheema Classic

Fresh from enjoying the biggest success in his still very young career, 2021 Saudi Cup-winning jockey David Egan is now hoping to add the Group 1 $5m Longines Dubai Sheema Classic to his growing record when he reunites with the John Gosden-trained Mishriff on Saturday.

Some racing fans were surprised that the 4-year-old son of Make Believe would line up at the start of the 2400m (1 1/2 miles) showdown, which is run on turf, rather than in the Dubai World Cup itself, but Egan explained: “The dirt in Dubai is not the same as the dirt in Saudi and I think the mile and a half will give him a pre-test run for the upcoming season.

“Whether they are aiming him at the top mile and a half races or whether they are thinking about dropping back for the remainder of the season. I think that he will stay and the Sheema Classic should be an exciting race.”

The 2021 season looks very promising for the 21-year-old jockey, who despite being the retained rider to Prince A A Faisal since 2020 was not on board Mishriff when he lifted the Prix du Jockey Club, also known as the French Derby, at Chantilly last year. Neither was he in Deauville when he won the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, nor when he ran disappointingly in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

“I won a Listed race with him at Newmarket and after that he was going for the French Derby, but by the time we knew he was going to France, I couldn't quarantine anymore,” the jockey who spent most of the winter in Bahrain explained. “The following time, I got a four-day suspension, and I couldn't move one of the days so I could definitely not ride him when Frankie rode him in Deauville. And the time after that, in the Champion Stakes, the Prince and Mr. Gosden decided that they wanted Frankie to ride him. He got beat and ran a bit disappointingly and then Prince Faisal requested me not long after that to ride him in the Saudi Cup.”

It couldn't have been easy to see other jockeys win on a horse that means the world to him but despite his young age, Egan is quite philosophical when he adds: “Whatever I was to do wouldn't change the fact that I wasn't going to be riding him. It was obviously fate that I wasn't meant to ride him on the other occasions. I'm not superstitious, but I believe the fact that I didn't ride him in the other races could have been a factor that I did ride him in the Saudi Cup and that we won the race. Maybe, if I had ridden him before and he got beat and ran bad, things might have gone differently for Mishriff and he might not have won the Saudi Cup. Things happen for a reason.”

Mishriff is not the only ride he will have on Dubai World Cup night, as he is also booked to ride the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon in the Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors, the Simon Crisford-trained Court House in the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World, as well as Jane Chapple-Hyam's Ambassadorial in the Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One.

“I'm very excited,” he concluded. “And if I win the Sheema Classic, I won't be complaining about the 10 days I will have to spend in quarantine in a hotel in England, will I?”

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‘I Wasn’t Sure If I Wanted To Ride Again’: Oisin Murphy Reveals Mental Struggles After Drug Positive

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy tested positive for metabolites of cocaine in July of 2020, later revealed that a sex partner was likely responsible for the positive test and was absolved of taking the drug himself, and eventually wound up with a three-month suspension from France-Galop which will end in March of 2021.

He retained his championship title in 2020, but this week Murphy candidly revealed to the Racing Post's My Sporting Mind podcast the struggles he endured mentally during the latter half of the season.

“I felt like the world had turned against me, over something I didn't really mean to happen,” Murphy said. “When I went to America [for the Breeders' Cup] I was hoping I'd done enough to win the jockeys' championship and by the time I rode in my last race, I wasn't sure if I wanted to ride again.”

Help came from fellow top jockey Frankie Dettori in the form of supportive messages, as well as the rest of his family and friends.

“I remember feeling the season was going to be defined one of two ways – I could fight on or let my season, my year, crumble to nothing,” Murphy summarized. “I knew I was going to get the ban, but I also knew that if I didn't win the jockeys' championship it would have been a season when I allowed everything that was going on around me to defeat me.”

Volcanic Sky on Fire in Nad Al Sheba Trophy

Godolphin's royal blue silks were seemingly everywhere at Meydan on Thursday, as the operation swept four of the five Thoroughbred races on the card and both group stakes with Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy and Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. The former was coming in off a win in a Feb. 11 2410-metre handicap score locally and gave his trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori a win on the card.

The bay sat in a tracking second just ahead of Global Heat (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}) past the wire the first time as Corsen (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) showed the way by daylight. Positions were largely static heading into the final of two turns. Volcanic Sky pounced midway on the bend and was pursued by Away He Goes (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) turning into the lane. Shaken up a bit by Dettori, he clung to his increasingly tenuous lead, as a trio of Godolphin rivals emerged as the biggest dangers close home. The wire came in time for Volcanic Sky, however.

Global Heat, who had been so persistent earlier in the race, re-rallied up the inside and cut the winning margin down to a short head. Brilliant Light (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was third, another 1 1/4 lengths back, the same margin in front of Group 1 winner Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in fourth, giving Godolphin the first four home.

“I took the initiative half way around the turn because the leader dropped away and I kicked on and I got first run on the others,” said Dettori. “He kind of lost concentration in the end, but he has been running well all season and he deserved a big win. He is very honest and wears his heart on his sleeve, and you know he is always going to run in the frame or win like tonight, and they don't come more consistent than him, so well done to the team.”

Added bin Suroor, “He is a tough horse and he always tries very hard. He is a big strong horse and he always improves after his first race. Frankie was in a nice position all through the race, and at the last two furlongs I felt he had a chance to win. The horse finished his race really well and this opens up the options for him and we might think of taking him to Dubai World Cup day.”

First tried above of handicap company only last September, the gelding was fifth in the Listed Eqtidaar Godolphin S. over 12 furlongs at Newmarket. The bay returned off a 118-day break to take sixth in the Jan. 21 Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic to the same horse that had beaten him at HQ in Charlie Appleby's Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Tried at 14 furlongs, Volcanic Sky responded with a solid effort to be second in the Listed Meydan Cup on Feb. 4.

Pedigree Notes

The winner is the 132nd black-type winner and 79th group winner for his late Darley sire. Volcanic Sky joins Agathonia, who won at the listed level in Germany and was second in the G3 Preis der Mehl-Mulhens Stuftung, as stakes winners by Street Cry out of Diktat (GB) mares. The G1 Australian Derby second Tupac Amaru (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) was also produced by a Diktat mare and that sire now has 31 black-type winners as a broodmare sire.

The first stakes winner for his two-time Group 3 winning dam, Volcanic Sky is also a full to the SP mare Minidress (GB), herself already responsible for the Irish SP Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and a half-brother to the dam of Japanese listed winner Rose Law (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who was second in the G3 Unicorn S.

Short Skirt's half-sister, the English/Irish highweight Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian) foaling Japanese dual champion Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), also a champion in the UAE after winning the G1 Dubai World Cup, in addition to G1 Yasuda Kinen scorer Asakusa Den'en (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies heroine and Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly Rose Tissage (Jpn), a rare progeny of the late reluctant breeder War Emblem, is also under the second dam. The winning third dam Short Rations (GB) (Lorenzaccio {GB}) produced G1 Irish St. Leger hero Arctic Owl (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}) and the sire Marooned (GB) (Mill Reef), a winner of the G1 Sydney Cup in Australia.

Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
NAD AL SHEBA TROPHY (SPONSORED BY GULF NEWS)-G3, $195,000, Meydan, 2-25, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 2810mT, 2:56.63, gd.
1–VOLCANIC SKY (GB), 126, g, 6, Street Cry (Ire)
1st Dam: Short Skirt (GB) (MGSW & MG1SP-Eng,
$357,566), by Diktat (GB)
2nd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
3rd Dam: Short Rations (GB), by Lorenzaccio (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Saeed bin
Suroor; J-Lanfranco Dettori. $117,000. Lifetime Record:
19-4-6-3, $230,334. *1/2 to Minidress (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}),
SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Global Heat (Ire), 126, g, 3, Toronado (Ire)–Raskutani (GB),
by Dansili (GB). (190,000gns Wlg '16 TATNOV; 325,000gns Ylg
'17 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Wellsummers Farm (IRE);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $39,000.
3–Brilliant Light (GB), 121, g, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Flame of
Gibraltar (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (GB);
T-Saeed bin Suroor. $19,500.
Margins: SHD, 1 1/4, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Ispolini (GB), Away He Goes (Ire), Mondain (GB), Yakeen (Aus), Corsen (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.

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