Torquator Tasso (Ger) paid a posthumous tribute to his champion sire Adlerflug (Ger) by adding victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden to his 2020 win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Second in last year's Deutsches Derby to another son of Adlerflug, the recently retired In Swoop (Ire), the 4-year-old beat this year's Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), who hassled the winner all the way to the line to boost the 2021 Classic form in Germany.

Torquator Tasso owns an intriguing pedigree, with both his sire and dam being female-line descendants of Anatevka (Ger) (Espresso {GB}) through the full-sisters Alya (Ger) and Allegretta (GB), both by Lombard (Ger). He thus has a double shot of the the family that can be credited with doing more to raise the profile of German breeding internationally in recent decades than any other. Torquator Tasso's owner Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke has indicated that the Arc is now the likely target for his colt, and that he may well stay in training next year before joining Ellerbracke's Gestüt Auenquelle. The stud is currently home to the veteran Soldier Hollow (GB) and Torquator Tasso's eventual arrival will give breeders another option for tapping into the Adlerflug/In The Wings line which has worked so well in Germany of late.

The Grosser Preis success was also another major feather in the cap of Marcel Weiss, who for the last two years has been training the Auenquelle horses at Mulheim. He had previously served his time as feedman for several trainers, including Heinz Jentzsch and Jens Hirschberger.

Half an hour later and some 500 kilometres away in Paris, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) continued his unbeaten progression to the top with his first Group 1 strike in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. He is the 15th Group 1 winner for his sire and the second to have won at the top level over a mile after Zelzal (Fr), who landed the Prix Jean Prat before it was reduced in distance. 

Anatevka and her daughter Allegretta of course appear in Baaeed's pedigree as the third and second dams of Sea The Stars, and on the bottom line the Queen's former star Height Of Fashion (Fr), who has been the bedrock of the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, appears again in another top prospect as Baaeed's fifth dam. 

William Haggas's star pupil Baaeed is out of Aghareed, a listed winner in her racing days for John Hammond and a daughter of Kingmambo. It is a cross which has been seen to good effect with Sea The Stars, whose Group 1-winning sons and young French-based stallions Cloth Of Stars (Ire) and Zelzal are both out of Kingmambo mares.

Ryan On Point For Major Owner

It was a day to remember for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Kevin Ryan on Saturday at Haydock, where the freewheeling tactics of Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) paid off when narrowly denying the even-money favourite Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in the G1 Sprint Cup. The 5-year-old former Gimcrack winner has been in good form all summer and was most recently second to Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}) in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York.

The owner/trainer duo had started the day well when supplying the latest stakes winner in a tremendous season for Frankel (GB) through Triple Time (GB) in the listed Ascendant S. The 2-year-old's dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) can very much claim her fair share of the credit, however, as she has been a wonderfully dependable broodmare for the sheikh, providing six black-type performers by six different stallions, including G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein victor Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has enjoyed a decent run of late, with seven winners from 17 runners over the last fortnight. They include the smart-looking 2-year-old homebred Razzle Dazzle (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), who has two black-type entries at Doncaster later this week.

Intello To The Fore

It was also a good weekend for Haras du Quesnay's Intello (Ger), who was represented by three new group winners in France and Germany. 

The lightly-raced Waldbiene (Fr) continued an excellent run for graduates of Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair when winning the G2 T Von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden on Saturday. A daughter of Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory {GB}), she hails from an excellent family which includes the St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

The following day the 11-year-old son of Galileo (Ire) notched two Group 3 winners in just over an hour at ParisLongchamp. The first came with victory for 4-year-old Dawn Intello (Fr), bred by Viktor Timoshenko at Haras de Montaigu, who clearly enjoyed dropping back in trip to 2000 metres for the La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

Bubble Smart (GB) then delivered the Prix Gladiateur for her trainer Mikel Delazangles and the family of his late Moroccan breeder Zakaria Hakam to complete a hat-trick of staying wins since June 26. The 4-year-old half-sister to Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Bubble Chic (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}) was raised at Haras de Maulepaire, not far from Le Mans, and her dam is one of around seven mares kept by Ali and Amina Hakam at the stud.

Run by Pierric Rouxel for the Comtesse de Tarragon, Maulepaire also raised arguably the most famous horse to have emerged from the Delzangles stable, the globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Dunaden (Fr), as well as some notable stars of the jumps scene, including La Bague Au Roi (Fr).

Ardad And Time Test Step Up

Ardad (Ire) leapt to the head of the European first-season sires' table on Saturday courtesy of his second group winner, Eve Lodge (GB), who notched the second victory of her career in the G3 Sirenia S. at Kempton. Ardad's leading performer of the season is the G1 Prix Morny and Gr Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (Ire). 

The Overbury Stud resident has had 17 individual winners at the time of writing, so he is eight behind the leader Cotai Glory (GB) in that category, but ahead on prize-money, largely thanks to his stakes winners. 

The freshman who took perhaps the biggest step forward this week is the National Stud's Time Test (GB), who had Group 3 winners on consecutive days and now lies equal with Galileo Gold (GB) for number of black-type winners on three. 

At Baden-Baden on Wednesday, the Peter Schiergen-trained Rocchigiani (GB) became his sire's first group winner in the G3 Renate und Albrecht Woesten Zukunftsrennen, swiftly followed 24 hours later by the success of Romantic Time (GB) in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. The William Stone-trained filly had previously beaten Eve Lodge into second when the pair met in a novice race at Yarmouth on July 7.

For Eve Lodge's trainer Charlie Fellowes, it was a case of as one door opens, another closes, and in this case it was a pretty big door. Thirty-five minutes after Eve Lodge became the trainer's first group winner on home soil, his beloved stable star Prince of Arran (GB) ran his final race when finishing last of five in the G3 September S. That race had been intended as a prep run before the 8-year-old went into quarantine for a fourth tilt at the Melbourne Cup, but the stringent new pre-travel vetting requirements for overseas runners ruled him out of a return to Australia. 

Fellowes will miss him terribly but he can look back with great pride at the career of a really likeable horse who helped to bring his trainer's name to wider attention internationally. Prince Of Arran retires sound and well with six wins to his name from 49 starts, and more than £2 million in prize-money. His most memorable victory came in the G3 Lexus S. on Derby day at Flemington, where he was also placed three times in the Melbourne Cup. There aren't many like him and he deserves a long and happy retirement.

Baden-Baden Gets It Right For Racing

Following an encouraging day at the BBAG Yearling Sale on Friday, BBAG president Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke then witnessed his Torquator Tasso take Baden-Baden's biggest race on Sunday to set him on course for a tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

In the spring the sales company became a shareholder in its neighbouring Baden-Baden racecourse, a symbiotic relationship which makes perfect sense. There is great relief in German racing that the action is now continuing at Baden-Baden under a 10-year lease to the newly formed Baden Galopp.

For a start, the closure of any racecourse should be met with regret, and it is no secret that German racing is under threat from dwindling prize-money and a reduction in the number of broodmares in the country. Most people who spent time at Baden-Baden racecourse, or at the sales, over the last few days would not have formed that impression, however. 

The one problem British racing does not face is a lack of racegoers but there is growing consternation about the unruly behaviour, often fuelled by drink and drugs, at a number of the country's top meetings. 

Baden Galopp may be a new company but the people behind it are long-term supporters of and participants in the sport. The meeting they staged over this weekend could be used as the copybook for the perfect racing experience, whether for the sport's professionals or for the casual fan.

For a start, the layout of the racecourse allows visitors to get properly close to the action, both on the track and when the horses are led back in after the race along the fabulous walkway bearing the names of the winners of the Grosser Preis, like racing's own special version of the yellow brick road. There is the history of the great race right there, writ large under our feet.

It was extremely hot over the weekend but plenty of shade was provided by the many lovely old trees in the public areas where there is no segregation, apart from the parade ring and winner's circle area naturally being restricted to owners, trainers and jockeys. But if you want to see the horses you can, very easily, and plenty of people did, as it was three or four deep around the parade ring on both days.  The rail in the long home straight was lined with folk throughout the day, and with the jockeys' tendency to bring the horses wide to that stands' rail, the runners whizzed by so close you could almost touch them, much to the delight of the many children watching on (and one very big child with a reporter's hat on).

For time out from the equine action, there was plenty of seating all around the course to enjoy a picnic from the open air bars and bratwurst stands. Not once over the weekend was there any sense of drunken, loutish behaviour. It was truly a wonderful sporting day out that could be properly enjoyed by family members of all ages, not to mention their pet dogs, of which there were many on course throughout the weekend.

There is much to celebrate about the return of racing to Baden-Baden at whatever level your interest in the sport may be.

One notable absentee from the sales and racing in Germany was leading trainer Andreas Wohler, 59, who suffered a heart attack on the previous Friday but has subsequently been released from hospital to continue his recovery. We wish him well.

Mighty Weekend For Spanish Racing

Among those taking full advantage of all the delights Baden-Baden has to offer was a group of 20 friends and family of Angel Saenz, who travelled to Germany from Madrid with their trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta to plunder group races on the Saturday and Sunday.

It was a mighty raid by Spain's champion trainer, who has long been lauded in his home country but deserves the wider recognition that his first Group 3 and then Group 2 wins internationally will bring.

A former amateur rider who cut his teeth with his friend and fellow Basque-born jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, Arizkorreta spent a number of years assisting Luca Cumani in Newmarket, where he honed his perfect English speaking skills. He returns to the town regularly for the sales, and both his group winners, Kitty Marion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Rodaballo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), had been bought at Tattersalls, the former from last year's July Sale for just 3,000gns by Edgar Byrne, and Rodaballo from Ardglas Stables at the Guineas Breeze-up Sale.

Two such notable wins outside Spain, which has a racehorse population of only around 65o, clearly meant an awful lot to Arizkorreta, who has won multiple Classics at home, including last year's Poule de Potros (Spanish 2000 Guineas) with the Aston House Stud-bred Rodaballo.

He said on Sunday, “We are always very passionate about our racing and our horses, so going abroad and proving that we are good enough to compete in these races is very important for Spain. We are very proud.”

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Freddy Head, who arrived in Saudi in time to see the 7-year-old have an easy canter on Thursday morning, said, “The lads are happy with him and I am very happy with him. The preparation has gone well and he looks to be in the same form as last year.”

Jamie Osborne was another Thursday arrival at the track to check up on Khalid Bin Mishref's Mekong, who had made just one start after last year's Saudi Cup meeting when fifth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. He reappeared for a tune-up at Wolverhampton on Jan. 18 in the countdown to his overseas trip. 

Mekong has not been seen on the main track in the mornings this week and his trainer explained why. “He is an interesting character,” said Osborne. “He has a tendency to plant himself and when we brought him to the track last year to do his thing, we couldn't get him to go anywhere. That's normal for him. So we shock him into it, in the sense that he is a horse that needs to have his routine changed regularly, because he gets used to something and then he resents it. So the first time he will see the track is when he runs.”

The hugely popular Prince Of Arran appears to be exactly the opposite. Routinely the first out in the morning among the internationals, the 8-year-old exercises willingly in partnership with rider Aled Beech and seems to retain plenty of enthusiasm after a number of overseas trips. He will jump from stall four under Frankie Dettori, two outside Call The Wind, who has the services of Olivier Peslier.

Nine of the 13 runners hail from European stables, with Mark Johnston's Mildenberger (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) having drawn the rail for his first start since winning an All-Weather Championships fast track qualifier over an extended two miles at Wolverhampton in January. 

Charlie Appleby's quartet for the meeting arrived from Dubai on Wednesday and he has the lightly-raced Secret Advisor (Fr) engaged in this event. The 7-year-old has not raced since early November but he undertook a racecourse gallop at Meydan last week which his trainer said has put him spot-on for this assignment. 

A busy international weekend for Andrew Balding sees the Kingsclere trainer with three runners in Qatar and Saudi, including Team Valor and Gary Barber's G2 Doncaster Cup winner Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) in this competitive contest. 

Champion Channel The Class Act In Turf Cup

The Neom Turf Cup has been blessed with the presence of America's champion turf horse, Channel Maker (English Channel), who accompanied his Bill Mott stable-mate Tacitus to Riyadh in order to take part in this 2,100-metre test. The 7-year-old was just a length behind Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) when third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, his final start in a 2020 campaign which saw him win back-to-back Grade 1s at Saratoga and Belmont. He does, however, appear to be more effective when stretching out to a mile and a half.

In his time, Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) has been trained in Britain, America and Dubai, but the 2018 Belmont S. runner-up is now trained locally in Saudi by Abdulaziz Bin Mishref. To be ridden by Olivier Peslier, he has drawn stall seven in the field of 12, which has also lured runners from Britain and Ireland. 

Willie Mullins may be more focused on preparing his battalions for the Cheltenham Festival next month but he will be represented in Saudi on the Flat by the globetrotting mare True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}), who was last seen winning the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. at Flemington in November for the second year in a row. Hardy and versatile, the 8-year-old's 10 wins have come between 10 furlongs and two miles, as well as over hurdles. This is her second trip to Saudi after running sixth in the Red Sea Turf H. last year.

The Adrian McGuinness-trained Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was in great form in Ireland last autumn when winning his final three races of the year over a mile.

The trainer's son Tadhg has been riding him in the mornings in Riyadh and gave him a spin round the grass track on Thursday.

“He took a good pull and handled the surface,” said the trainer following that exercise. “He's just done a nice, steady canter and quickened a little bit up the straight just for half a furlong. We're delighted with him and he came back great.”

A contender who should not be overlooked is Juddmonte's Tilsit (First Defence), who has made just four starts for Charlie Hills for two wins, including the G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood.

Described as a little quirky by his rider Henry Morshead, the 4-year-old has nevertheless behaved well in the mornings and looks to be in terrific form ahead of his first start since chasing home Kameko (Kitten's Joy) when fourth in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket in September. 

Blues The One To Beat In Turf Sprint

The stc 1351 Turf Sprint takes its unusual distance of 1,351 metres from the year in the Islamic calendar in which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded (1932 in the Gregorian calendar). 

It's a trip which will certainly suit the class act in the field, Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Granted, he hasn't been seen in the heat of battle since winning the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last August, but that victory completed a faultless string of four progressive runs in Europe last summer which marked the 5-year-old as a sprinter of huge potential. Gifted stall two in the draw, he has wintered in Dubai and travelled to Saudi on Wednesday with his stable-mate and rival Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was third in last year's race from a wide draw and has a slightly better starting point this year in gate nine. 

Last year's winner Dark Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was one of two on the inaugural Saudi Cup card for Bahrain. The 7-year-old is trained by British ex-pat Allan Smith and returns to defend his title this year with Frankie Dettori booked to ride. 

Momkin (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), the half-brother of Saudi Cup challenger Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), is another repeat performer, who was seventh last year. He has left Britain and is now trained in Saudi by Abdullah Mushrif, as has the former Richard Hannon trainee Urban Icon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), who is now representing Fahad Saad. 

Another former European-trained horse is the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who has left Aidan O'Brien and is now trained in Dubai by Musabbah Al Mheiri.

Oxted Primed For Dirt Debut

As well as being represented in the Saudi Cup by Charlatan, WinStar Farm's veteran Speightstown has the likely favourite for the $1.5 million Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Japanese raider Matera Sky, as well as recent G3 Dubawi S. winner Switzerland. Trained by Hideyuki Mori for Tsuyoshi Ono, the 7-year-old Matera Sky was runner-up in the 1,200-metre contest last year and has also made appearances at the Dubai World Cup and Breeders' Cup meetings.  

“He is a proven shipper and he gained 10kg of weight during the flight from Japan to Saudi Arabia,” said Mori. “He can take a lead and use his natural speed to the finish. We will not change any tactics and his inside draw will be an advantage for us. He has trained very well since he has arrived.”

Matera Sky faces not just last year's winner, the Fahad Saad-trained New York Central (Tapit), but an intriguing runner from Britain in last season's G1 July Cup winner Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}). Now five, Roger Teal's stable star is racing on dirt and round a bend for the first time but the trainer and his son Harry, who rides Oxted in the mornings, have both been very bullish about the gelding's condition since arriving in Riyadh, as well as his ability to handle the dirt surface. 

The truly international $1.5 million contest, which features 14 runners from Saudi Arabia, America, Britain, Ireland and Japan, will also be the first experience on the dirt for Brad The Brief (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), a Group 3 winner on heavy ground in Chantilly last October for Tom Dascombe and his breeder Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm, but the 4-year-old is versatile when it comes to the going, and has also won on quicker ground at Bath as well as Wolverhampton's synthetic surface. 

Harry's Bar (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), one of two runners at the meeting for Ireland's Adrian McGuinness, has good recent form on another synthetic surface at Dundalk, where he has won his last two starts over six furlongs.

Proven on the dirt is another of the three Japanese challengers, Justin (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who won the GIII Capella S at Nakayama in December.

Godolphin Pair Clash In Saudi Derby

The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was the emphatic winner of the UAE 1000 Guineas on her most recent start at Meydan and she will take on the colts over a mile in the $1.5 million Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby. She may well find that her strongest opposition comes from within the Godolphin camp in  Rebel's Romance (Ire), another Dubawi 3-year-old but this one trained by Charlie Appleby.

“She's one of the best fillies I've had on the dirt,” said Bin Suroor this week of the Godolphin homebred Soft Whisper. “I've won the Guineas 12 times and she won it very well and is a top filly. It's a tough race to face the colts, but if the filly is good enough, she will run very well here and she can win.”

He added, “I also plan to run her in the UAE Derby after this.”

Appleby is equally positive in his view of the statuesque Rebel's Romance. He said, “Rebel's Romance has already had a run and has been here [in Dubai] all winter. He's very much learning on the job but you can't fault him. The penny is dropping at the right end of the race. He's three from three and had two starts on the synthetics at Kempton and Newcastle, then he came over here and put in a nice performance in the Guineas Trial. He learned plenty, getting the kickback and a feel of the surface as well as the style of dirt racing. He overcame the greenness through that and managed to win still, so that was very pleasing. He's definitely come forward again since then so, for me, he's a live contender in the Derby.”

Steve Asmussen, who runs Max Player in the Saudi Cup, has also sent over GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Cowan (Kantharos) from America to take his chances on the Saudi dirt, while Salem Bin Ghadayer will saddle G3 UAE 2000 Guineas runner-up Meshakel (Ire) (Shamardal).

Francis Graffard's Chantilly stable is represented by Homeryan (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a winner at his local track at the end of January as well as finishing second in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon on his final run of 2020. 

John Gosden was second in the inaugural Saudi Derby with Mishriff (Ire), who runs in this year's Cup, and his Newmarket stable this time fields the gelding New Treasure (Ire), a Group 3 winner in Ireland last season for his breeder Jim Bolger. 

Ted Voute, racing manager for New Treasure's owner Prince Faisal bin Khaled, said: “He was a rig when we bought him, with one testicle quite high which we felt was probably hurting him a little, so we gelded him and obviously hope that's made a bit of difference. He's quite a keen horse and his work on the track has been good so far. I'm hoping that being out of a Congaree mare he will like the dirt, and hope that the race will be run with a bit of speed, which might suit him.”

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In total, the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh will host 77 overseas contenders representing 13 different countries from around the world who between them have won 24 Group or Grade 1 contests.

The highlight of the meeting is the $20 million Saudi Cup, and the second staging of the world's most valuable race looks set to feature another crop of star names.

The field could be headed by Brad Cox's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go (USA), who is part of a strong American contingent which includes Grade 1 Malibu Stakes winner Charlatan (USA) and Tacitus (USA), returning for a second tilt at the race and owned by Juddmonte Farms.

Ryuji Okubo's impressive Grade 1 Champions Cup winner Chuwa Wizard (JPN) represents Japan, while John Gosden is likely to saddle Mishriff (IRE) who was second in the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby at this meeting 12 months ago.

A host of other top-class horses look likely to take their spots in Riyadh, with Freddy Head's four-time Group 1 winner Call The Wind (GB) seeking back-to-back victories in the $2.5m Red Sea Turf Handicap, alongside last year's third Prince Of Arran (GB), trained by Charlie Fellowes.

Both the 1200m $1.5m SAUDIA Riyadh Dirt Sprint and $1m stc 1351 Turf Sprint have also attracted a host of well-regarded types.

Group 1 July Cup winner Oxted (UK), trained in the UK by Roger Teal, looks all set to run in the SAUDIA Riyadh Dirt Sprint, where he could take on Yoshito Yahagi's Justin (JPN) – the earner of an automatic spot in the race after winning the Grade 3 Capella Stakes in December.

The stc 1351 Turf Sprint is another race that has attracted a strong field, with last year's winner Dark Power (IRE), trained in Bahrain by Allan Smith, back to defend his crown. He'll face a strong challenge again this time around with Charlie Appleby's Space Blues (IRE), the winner of his last four races, including most recently in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, as well as Joseph O'Brien's Speak In Colours (GB) both expected to line up.

Bill Mott's Channel Maker (CAN), last seen finishing third to Tarnawa in the Breeders' Cup Turf, is the likely star name in the 2100m $1m Neom Turf Cup, a field which also includes Gronkowski (USA), now trained by Abdulaziz Khalid in Saudi Arabia.

The Purebred Arabian runners in the 2000m $2m Obaiya Arabian Classic are headlined by the Group 1-winning Messi (BEL), trained by Timo Keersmaekers in Belgium, who will clash with last year's winner Tallaab Al Khalediah (KSA), trained locally by Mutlaq Bin Mushref.

This year's Saudi Cup meeting also sees the addition of a new race, the $500k Al Rajhi Bank International Handicap, which is specifically aimed at horses trained in IFHA Part II or Part III countries, and is run on Friday 19 February on stc International Jockeys' Challenge day.

There are horses entered from six different countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Spain, the Czech Republic and Greece.

Tom Ryan, Director of Strategy and International Racing for the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said:

“We were very excited when we saw the entry list for the second staging of The Saudi Cup and now we know the likely fields, we really are delighted.

“A battle between the likes of Knicks Go, Charlatan, Mishriff and Chuwa Wizard in The Saudi Cup would be a huge thrill, while the strength and quality of all the other races has really stood up.

“The entire team are working incredibly hard to deliver a world class event where the health and safety of all participants is paramount. It has obviously been an difficult year for everyone and we are glad that we are able to put on this meeting for racing fans all over the world to enjoy.”

For a list of where you can watch the Saudi Cup from home, please visit www.thesaudicup.com.sa and click “Where to watch”.

Download possible runners and past performances: https://thesaudicup.com.sa/page/Races

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“He’s going to Saudi Arabia, provided everything is fine,” said Fellowes. “He’s come back in looking too well, but he didn’t go out until late. He’s come back with a proper belly on him, so I’ll have to get some proper work into him.

“I think I’ll give him a prep run before Saudi, which I’ve not done before, but I just feel he needs it this year, so he might go to Kempton for a Fast-Track Qualifier over two miles in early February. That is two weeks before the Saudi Cup and it would work absolutely perfectly, so he’d run there, go to Saudi the following week and then off to Dubai.”

“I just feel he needs the run this year,” Fellowes added. “He loves Kempton, two miles there is perfect for him and should he win that–who knows what will happen with the pandemic–but it gives us the option of Finals Day if he gets qualified. It will open up a few doors as well as helping me get him fitter.”

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It was a clean sweep of the top three places for European raiders and, in an echo of 2017 when Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) held off Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), O’Brien’s father Aidan had to settle for second best when Irish Derby runner-up Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran home strongly to be runner-up on just the fifth start of his life. Finishing strongest of all, however, was the Charlie Fellowes-trained Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), who claimed a spot in the Melbourne Cup top three for the third year in a row.

In front of deserted stands at Flemington, Twilight Payment was instantly prominent from stall 12, and by the time the field passed the post for the first time he had taken up the running with Tiger Moth tucked in his wake. Given an easy lead, the 7-year-old was joined by the long-striding Finche (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the back stretch and the pair started to draw farther clear on the home turn as a stacked chasing pack jostled for position. With Finche weakening in the straight, Twilight Payment maintained his authority as Tiger Moth laid down his own challenge followed by the Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and eventual fourth-place finisher The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel {NZ}). Only Prince Of Arran, trapped behind a wall of horses turning into the straight, made any real late headway with his thrusting late charge to finish less than a length off the winner, a performance which must have have been as heartening as it was frustrating for his connections.

While 3-year-old Tiger Moth justified his huge support going into the race to hold on for second, there was a dreadful postscript to the 160th Melbourne Cup as his stable-mate and last year’s Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) fractured his fetlock less than two furlongs from home and was subsequently euthanised.

Speaking live on At The Races from Ireland, the former Irish champion jockey Joseph O’Brien was quick to praise Jye McNeil, who made his first ride in the Melbourne Cup a winning one. He said, “Jye gave the horse a fantastic ride and all credit goes to Mark Power and to Sean Corby, who looks after Twilight Payment, and the team of lads we have had down in Australia for the last month or so. This is the icing on the cake for them.”

Bred and originally trained by Jim Bolger, Twilight Payment won his first five races in the colours of Jackie Bolger and joined O’Brien’s team last July after being bought by Lloyd and Nick Williams. He made his first trip to Australia shortly after that and finished 11th in last year’s race. During a fruitful summer of 2020, he won the G2 Curragh Cup for the second year running and, fittingly, the G3 Vintage Crop S.

O’Brien continued, “This was the first year I’ve had a full preparation with him—he came to us halfway through last season—and his form was good all through the summer. He ran a couple of huge races at the Curragh. I thought he might have been given a little bit more pressure for the lead, but the horse has incredible heart and he just kept running all the way to the line. He has an incredible will to win.”

The 27-year-old trainer landed his first Melbourne Cup in 2017 in his second season of training. He subsequently won the Irish Derby with Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who is also owned by the Williams team, and recorded a first success at last year’s Breeders’ Cup with Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}). This season he also claimed his first British Classic success when Galileo Chrome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) won the St Leger.

He added, “I can’t thank Lloyd and Nick Williams enough for everything they do for me. It’s a fantastic result for them also. I’m hugely privileged to train for the people I train for and to have the horses that I have. It’s a tough game, as everybody knows, and there’s a fine line between the top and the bottom.”

Jye McNeil said that his Melbourne Cup debut left him “overwhelmed with emotion”.

The 25-year-old added, “Joseph wanted me to be a step ahead of the field and really get them chasing. I encouraged [Twilight Payment] to go forward, that was the plan. Then he just found such a lovely tempo at the top. It was just a matter of amping the rhythm up at just the right stage and I’m glad it all worked out.”

The travel and quarantine restrictions that have added extra complications to international racing this year meant that Charlie Fellowes was also watching from afar at his home in Newmarket. As ever, he was full of praise for his stable star Prince Of Arran. He said, “The last two years I’ve felt that we’ve been beaten absolutely fair and square so you can only come away feeling proud of what the horse has achieved. This year, not taking anything away from the winner or the second, but I just feel that the trip we had, especially coming round the bend, being pushed wide and not getting quite the clearest run in the world, maybe he might just have got there, but it’s unfair to say that. I just felt that this was possibly his year.”

Fellowes continued, “He’s done so well and he’s the most incredible horse. I’m incredibly lucky to have a horse like him and I will never have one like him ever again. He looks after himself and always has done, which is I guess why he’s running at such a high level still at the age of seven. He just needs to look after himself for a year or two more and maybe we’ll go out there again next year. He’s a really intelligent horse and he’s always very interested in what’s going on around him, but he’s also a cool customer and very relaxed. I think the hotter conditions and the faster track played to his favour today because he loves those conditions and he handles them better than a lot of other horses do.

“He’s a wonderful horse and the key now is to make sure we enjoy him and that he’s able to race but that we don’t put the horse’s wellbeing at risk. That’s the important thing.”

Pedigree notes
Twilight Payment was the second foal of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Dream On Buddy (Ire), who won twice over a mile on the all-weather for the late John Hills and is a half-sister to the Jim Bolger-trained dual Group 2 winner and Irish Oaks runner-up Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The siblings were bred by Pat O’Kelly’s Kilcarn Stud. At the end of Banimpire’s Classic season of 2011, Bolger bought her year-older half-sister for 240,000gns.

Now a seven-time winner, Twilight Payment is her sole winner but his half-sister Bandiuc Eile (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) earned black type when second in the G2 Debutante S. behind Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) in 2018. Now in foal for the first time to Profitable (Ire), Bandiuc Eile is entered as lot 1618 in the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale.

Twilight Payment’s grandam My Renee (Kris S) was a dual listed winner and is herself a grand-daughter of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Detroit (Fr) (Riverman), who in turn produced fellow Arc winner Carnegie (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells).

A third Group 1 winner for Bolger as breeder within a fortnight following the victories of juveniles Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Twilight Payment was the second Melbourne Cup winner for the former Bolger trainee Teofilo, who is also the sire of Godolphin’s 2018 winner Cross Counter (Ire).

The post Twilight Payment Makes All To Win Melbourne Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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As Britain reawakes from lockdown, the business end of the bloodstock world has managed to operate almost normally and racing has been back in action since early June behind closed doors, meaning that we have a July Week of sorts, albeit one without all the fun.

The rearranged breeze-up sales have just two fixtures left, Wednesday’s belated Guineas Sale at Tattersalls which leads straight into two days of a reduced July Sale, and the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Sale on July 24.

It’s been a long haul for the majority of the breeze-up consignors who left Ireland almost three weeks ago and have been on the move between sales in Newmarket and Doncaster since then. Generally, the breeze-up market has held up better than most dared to dream, and, naturally, the hope is for that trend will continue on Wednesday when trade gets underway for the single session at Park Paddocks.

After withdrawals, around 120 2-year-olds will be offered including a full-sister to the G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Lady Tiana (GB) and listed-winning stayer Blakeney Point (GB), both of whom are by Sir Percy (GB). The filly is offered as lot 25 through Tally-Ho Stud and is fairly typical of the profile of horse usually found in the Guineas Sale, which tends to include a later-maturing type. Indeed, the sale’s most famous graduate is the Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who was sold by Mocklershill to Federico Barberini for 20,000gns back in 2013. A durable and talented individual who raced until the age of six, earning more than £800,000 during his career, he was however out and winning as early as July of his juvenile season.

The Sherbourne Lodge Stud draft contains a French-bred colt (lot 148) by this season’s leading freshman sire Goken (Fr) who already has ten winners to his name including the G3 Prix du Bois winner Livachope (Fr), while Robson Aguiar, the man behind the G2 Norfolk S. winner The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) has a colt from the first crop of dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (lot 40) whose dam is a Dutch Art (GB) half-sister to recent G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}).

On Thursday and Friday the action switches to the mixed fare of the July Sale and it was from here that Golden Horde’s dam Entreat (GB) was sold by Cheveley Park Stud four years ago for just 14,000gns. The dams of fellow Group 1 winners Fairyland (Ire), Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Watch Me (Fr) have also been sourced from this sale in recent years and breeders are likely to make a beeline for sizeable drafts from Cheveley Park Stud, Godolphin and Juddmonte among others.

Barton Stud consigns the French mare Damdam Freeze (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB}), who has already produced the stakes winner Kendam (Fr) and Kenfreeze (Fr), both by Kendargent (Fr), and the family has received a further boost this season via Kendam’s son Kenway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), the winner of the G3 Prix Eclipse. The 15-year-old Damdam Freeze is in foal to Showcasing on a June 3 cover and is offered as lot 373.

The dam of one of the toughest horses currently in training, Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), is also included in Thursday’s session and she is the 14-year-old Storming Sioux (GB), a daughter of Storming Home (GB). Selling through Jamie Railton as lot 229, she is carrying a foal by Elwick Stud’s Mondialiste (Ire) and was last covered on May 18.

Wednesday’s session for the Guineas Sale begins at 12 noon and for Thursday and Friday the July Sale will start at 10am. Live internet bidding is available via the Tattersalls website and prospective buyers are asked to register for this service in advance of the sale.

The post Guineas Sale Heads Tattersalls’ July Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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