Mishriff | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mishriff Targeting Saudi Cup

Last year’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) is being prepared for next month’s $20-million Saudi Cup, said Ted Voute, racing manager to the colt’s owner/breeder Prince Faisal.

Trained by John Gosden, Mishriff was second in last February’s Saudi Derby on the same card before stringing together a hat trick of black-type victories over the summer, beginning with the Listed Newmarket S. prior to the French Derby and culminating in a 4 1/2-length score in the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano. He was last seen beating two home over the soft ground in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 17.

“John’s preparing him for the race,” Voute confirmed. “The Prince and him discussed it in late December and the Prince lives in Riyadh. It’s on a dirt track which he handled last year when he came second. We’re going back a furlong, but we hope it won’t inconvenience him.”

“It’s something to look forward to,” Voute added. “There’s not a lot for him at home until probably June. Last year he went out there and [then] won the French Derby which was the same sort of timing. It gives him a few months off after he comes back.”

Frankie Dettori was in the saddle for Mishriff’s last two starts, but David Egan will take the ride in the Saudi Cup.

“He’s in Bahrain at the moment so he’s nice and close,” Voute said. “We’ve contacted him already and he says he’ll be delighted to ride him. He’s retained by us, but for one reason or another he didn’t get back on him last year [after Newmarket].”

There are 17 Grade or Group 1 winners entered for the Saudi Cup, including Mishriff’s Champion S. conqueror Addeybb (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Other European representation could come from the Roger Charlton-trained Extra Elusive (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Saeed bin Suroor’s Military March (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Charlie Hills’s Tilsit (First Defence).

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Magical Set To Defend Her Title In Saturday’s QIPCO Champion Stakes

The £750,000 (approximately US$885,866) QIPCO Champion Stakes held on Saturday, Oct. 17, will be the richest race in Great Britain this year and looks set to be the race of the season with Magical and Addeybb, who dominated the finish of last year's renewal, renewing old rivalries again.

Magical prevailed by three-quarters of a length 12 months ago, after which her trainer Aidan O'Brien intimated she had run her final race.

However, the daughter of Galileo was kept in training and the decision has been handsomely rewarded, with the mare chalking up three more Group 1 victories (taking her overall haul to seven) and probably running as well as she's ever done when getting the better of Ghaiyyath, the world's highest-rated turf horse, to win a second Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last time.

She could be joined in the line-up for the mile-and-a-quarter showpiece by star stablemates Serpentine, this year's Investec Derby winner, plus Mogul, winner of the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, not to mention last year's Juddmonte International winner Japan, and Sovereign, winner of last year's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Addeybb has not rested on his laurels, either, chalking up two Group 1 victories in Australia in the spring before finishing runner-up in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. He swiftly got back to winning ways in a Listed race at Ayr last time.

Standing in the way of the O'Brien contingent and Addeybb are two outstanding candidates trained by John Gosden in Mishriff, the Prix Du Jockey Club victor, and Lord North, emphatic winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Mishriff followed up his French Classic success by landing a Group 2 contest at Deauville, while Lord North was third behind Ghaiyyath and Magical in the Juddmonte International at York on his latest start.

Another fascinating runner among the home team is the William Muir-trained Pyledriver, who drops half a mile in distance after being beaten just over a length into third in the Pertemps St Leger at Doncaster last time. His exploits earlier in the season included emphatic wins in the King Edward VII Stakes, at Royal Ascot, and Sky Bet Great Voltigeur, at York.

Muir is delighted by the well-being of his stable flagbearer and is relishing dropping him back in distance. The trainer, seeking a first Group 1 win after 29 years with a licence, said: “He's getting stronger and is starting to retain his weight easier. His work has been good, the same as ever, and I'm very confident I've still got him at his best.

“I think if it hadn't been for this type of year, we would probably not run him over a mile and a six in the St Leger. You can't be dogmatic and say he didn't stay because he ground it out, but that was his class. He wasn't as effective because we took his gears and speed away from him. Martin [Dwyer] was sitting, waiting and having to hold him on to him when he wanted to kick.

“I'm not worried about the ground and the trip won't be a problem. Straight after he won the Voltigeur, the jockey went on TV and said he had the pace to win a Group 1 over a mile and a quarter.”

Pyledriver will be staying in training next year. Muir said: “We've got loads to look forward to with this horse and, no matter what else, the boys [the trio who own the horse] have had a fantastic time. We've enjoyed every minute of it and we've got next year and the year after with him, when we will be looking at the big races all around the world.”

Cirrus Des Aigles (2011) and Almanzor (2016) have been French-trained winners of the QIPCO Champion Stakes in the past decade and Skalleti will attempt to again take the prize across the Channel.

The 5-year-old grey, trained by Jerome Reynier, has won 12 of his 15 races and scooped the Group 2 Qatar Prix Dollar for a second time at Longchamp this month. Before that, he had mastered Sottsass, the subsequent Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, in a Group 3 contest at Deauville.

Other possibles among the 16 entries include three-time Group 1 winner Benbatl, who is also engaged in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO).

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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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Enable “Happy And Well” In Arc Prep

Newmarket’s Henry Cecil Open Weekend could not take place in its traditional format this year, but a wide array of HQ trainers nonetheless participated in virtual format.

John Gosden was chief among them, and he gave an update on the town’s most popular equine resident, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), as she gears up for an attempt at a third win in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4.

“Enable is very happy and well,” Gosden said. “She has been fine since the race at Kempton [the Sept. 5 G3 September S). She enjoyed that outing. It’s a massive task [the Arc], a big mountain to climb again. If it had gone quite right last year, she obviously wouldn’t be trying to do it this year.

“It looks a fantastic race; Aidan O’Brien is fielding a wonderful filly in Love, who naturally being a 3-year-old gets all the weight, which Enable benefited from when she won as a 3-year-old, and there are some great older horses. It is very exciting–she is in great form to attempt the impossible. Frankie [Dettori] will hopefully be here next week to ride her in some work and help bring her up to the race.”

Enable will meet her illustrious staying stablemate Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for the first time on a racecourse in the Arc. Stradivarius shortened up to 2400 metres when second in the G2 Prix Foy on Sept. 13.

“In the Prix Foy, Mickael Barzalona was riding [winner] Anthony Van Dyck and he went nice gentle fractions,” Gosden said. “In the French trials they do not like to overdo them, they come into the straight and then kick. I thought for a two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Gold Cup winner he showed great acceleration down the straight. The other horses behind never got to them. I thought both horses ran lovely races and he came up a neck short. I could not have been happier with him.”

Two of Gosden’s Group 1-winning 3-year-olds, Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Mishriff (GB) (Make Believe {GB}), have dates on British Champions Day, in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and G1 Qipco Champion S. respectively.

“We are very much looking at the QEII with Palace Pier,” Gosden said. “We were very happy with the [G1] Jacques le Marois–we wanted that straight mile for him. They did have an excessive amount of rain, so it was very soft, but he handled it well. There is a strong possibility that he stays in training as a 4-year-old, in which case it will probably be his last run of the season as we are getting deep into October. I didn’t really want to be whizzing him off to Hong Kong or America at this stage, maybe we will do that sort of thing next year. Hopefully he runs a big race in the QEII, and we will be waiting to run him again as a 4-year-old.”

Of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Mishriff, Gosden added, “We thought about the Arc. We looked at the pedigree and to me, he is not fully furnished and strengthened yet. He is still improving and the Arc at this stage of his career could do more harm than good. We decided we will stay at a mile and a quarter and he will be going to the Champion S. I’d expect him to put up a pretty big show.”

Gosden said the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. could be on the agenda for last year’s G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) following his recent winning return off an extended layoff due to peritonitis.

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