Saudi Arabia | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Runners Draw Inside And Out For Saudi Cup

A field of 13 was drawn Wednesday evening in Riyadh for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, to be contested over 1800 meters under the lights Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Saudi capital.

Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Zedan Racing's Country Grammer (Tonalist) is back for another tour of the Middle East, having missed by a half-length in this event 12 months ago before landing the G1 Dubai World Cup some 600 miles to the east in Dubai. In stark contrast to 2022, the 6-year-old, who will carry the Zedan colors, enters the Saudi Cup with a tightener under his belt, as he proved a convincing winner of the GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26 when reunited with World Cup-winning rider Frankie Dettori. The retiring Italian will be back in the saddle from stall 10 Saturday.

Trainer Bob Baffert's second runner is Zedan's wholly owned 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who will be ridden from gate two by Mike Smith, just to the outside of Japanese speedball Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and inside of last year's G2 UAE Derby hero Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), who will once again have the services of Australia's Damian Lane. Taiba also last raced Dec. 26, streaking clear late to prove a much-the-best winner of the GI Runhappy Malibu S. He returns to the nine-furlong trip over which he scored in last year's GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Pennsylvania Derby.

The two commonly owned sons of Quality Road were the last two to be allotted their barriers, as the very progressive Scotland Yard drew the four, while defending champion Emblem Road was left with gate eight. Both enter the Cup on the heels of victories, and in the case of Emblem Road, a good-looking success in his first appearance since finishing well-beaten in his turf debut in the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy in July.

Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) passed on a three-peat attempt in the G1 February S. over the weekend in favor of the Saudi Cup and will break from the widest alley in 13 with Joao Moreira at the controls.

The Saudi Cup-G1, $20,000,000, 4yo/up, 1800m (in post position order)

1–Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})

2–Taiba (Gun Runner)

3–Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn})

4–Scotland Yard (Quality Road)

5–Sunset Flash (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) (f)

6–Jun Light Bolt (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn})

7–Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

8–Emblem Road (Quality Road)

9–Vin de Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})

10–Country Grammer (Tonalist)

11-Lagertha Rhyme (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (f)

12–Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong)

13–Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah)

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Missed The Cut In Good Form In Advance Of Saudi Test

Listed winner Missed The Cut (Quality Road) is pleasing trainer George Boughey in advance of a try in the G3 Neom Turf Cup on the G1 Saudi Cup undercard on Saturday.

“He has come a long way in a short space of time,” said the trainer, who saw the son of Quality Road breeze on the Riyadh track ahead of the extended 10-furlong test on Saturday.

“There was a rapid rise through the summer last year, possibly too much too soon when we took him out to France for a Group 2.

“We are just taking our time with him. He comes here in super shape, so we are looking forward to it.

“His last run is obviously good form. Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) has taken his form to a whole different level on the dirt at Meydan and this is a whole different kettle of fish.

“It is a tight 10 1/2 furlongs around the turf on Saturday. He has plenty of pace and he should go pretty well.”

A winner at Royal Ascot in 2022, the 4-year-old entire was fifth in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in August and defeated subsequent dual Group 2 winner Algiers by a short head in the Listed Churchill S. over the Lingfield all-weather on Nov. 12.

“He is a very good-looking horse and he's only sort of furnishing now,” added Boughey. “He was very raw last year and his demeanour has improved. His behaviour is better and he is certainly going the right way. I hope he can be a flag-bearer for the yard. He has got to go and do it on the world stage and his work is getting that way.

“I think he could be versatile ground and trip-wise. He has got a dirt pedigree as well, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him step onto an all-weather surface in the pretty near future.”

Missed The Cut, who will have former champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the irons on Saturday, races for Babington, St Elias & Hudson as well as co-owner Lane's End Farm.

“We will take one step at a time, but he has a top-side dirt pedigree and we will certainly be exploring that soon, whether it will be in Dubai or America. He is obviously part-owned by Lane's End Stud and that will be where we want him to end up [in America].

“He has got to go and prove it. He is a stakes winner now, but is certainly going the right way. We have had a bit of a headache through his career so far with jockey changes.

“Oisin is a world-class rider and I think we might be able to get a bit of consistency with him. He doesn't, at the moment, have a top-class 10-furlong horse to ride this year, so it would be good to nail him down and hopefully they can create a good bond together.”

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Murphy Confirmed To Ride Boughey’s Missed The Cut On Saudi Cup Card

Jockey Oisin Murphy will have a classy horse to look forward to when his 14-month suspension comes to a close on February 16 with trainer George Boughey confirming that Missed The Cut (Quality Road), on course for a tilt at the G3 Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia on February 25, will be partnered by the Irish man.

Murphy was banned for breaking Covid rules, misleading the regulator and prejudicial conduct, plus two alcohol breaches.

However, Boughey has explained that the rider has been busy putting in the groundwork with his Royal Ascot scorer Missed The Cut behind the scenes in recent weeks, with the Newmarket operator hoping Murphy can develop a good bond with the colt this season.

“Oisin Murphy will ride him,” Boughey said on Monday. “It's taken quite a lot of brainpower throughout his career so far, he's had a number of jockeys and I think a horse like him probably deserves to have a jockey that's going to try and ride him wherever possible.

“I had a long chat with Oisin at the back end of last year when we were trying to make a plan for him. William Buick and Ryan Moore traditionally ride mine whenever they can but I think, at their own admission, they won't be able to ride him come the summer.

“They were available to ride him in Saudi but we're just prolonging the inevitable and I want someone who is going to be able to create a bond with the horse.”

Murphy has ridden Missed The Cut at home and in a racecourse gallop at Chelmsford in a newly-established alliance between trainer and jockey.

Boughey added, “He's done plenty of work, he's been to Chelmsford to ride him the other morning and he's delighted with him. It's a bit of a new thing, Oisin has only ridden one winner for me so it's not really a relationship that's had much to go at so far.

“He's obviously a fantastic rider and I'm delighted to have him on board. He's ridden at Newmarket and he went to Chelmsford the other morning, his work has been pretty good and there are few better men to know what a top-class horse looks like than Oisin.”

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Quality Road Sires Exacta In Listed King’s Cup, Saudi Cup Next

A little less than five months after Emblem Road caused a massive upset in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup last February, agents for that horse's owner HRH Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz went shopping for another son of Quality Road at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale. They landed on Scotland Yard, placed three times in maiden company from four starts for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm and Steve Asmussen and offered through the WinStar Racing consignment.

Acquired for $255,000 with a race like the Saudi Cup the long-term objective, Scotland Yard remained undefeated in three starts at King Abdulaziz Racetrack with a comprehensive victory in Saturday's $399,600 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (King's Cup), accorded listed black-type status for the first time.

Drawn wide in a field of 17, Scotland Yard broke alertly and raced handy to the pace while traveling in about the six path down the long backstretch in Riyadh. Allowed to improve his position and guided down to race three deep around the turn, Scotland Yard wrested command from fellow Fasig-Tipton HORA grad Electability (Quality Road) under little encouragement with more than a quarter-mile to race and put on a show down the lane, scoring by 10 1/4 lengths (see below, SC 16)). Electability plugged on for second ahead of 9-year-old mare La Casa Tarifa (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) in third. The final time for the mile and a quarter on a dry strip that rarely produces fast times was a crisp 2:04 flat. With the victory, Scotland Yard earns an automatic berth in the nine-furlong Saudi Cup Feb. 25.

Scotland Yard is a son of Leslie's Harmony (Curlin), a half-sister to four-time champion and 10-time Grade I winner Beholder (Henny Hughes), all-conquering sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) and GISW and promising young stallion Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy). Bridlewood Farm acquired Leslie's Harmony for $1.1 million out of the 2014 Keeneland September Sale and she is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Union Harmony (Union Rags), a 2-year-old Tapit filly and a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. She is due to Not This Time for her 2023 foal. Scotland Road is the 67th stakes winner for his sire.

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES CUP (King's Cup) (Saudi Cup Qualifier)-Listed, SAR1,500,000 ($399,600), King Abdulaziz, 1-28, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:04, ft.
1–SCOTLAND YARD, 127, c, 4, Quality Road–Leslie's Harmony,
by Curlin. ($300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $255,000 HRA '22
FTKHRA). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Prince Saud bin Salman
Abdulaziz; B-Bridlewood Farm (FL); T-M Almulawah; J-V
Gutierrez; SAR750,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-1, $343,934.
2–Electability, 127, g, 4, Quality Road–Spindle, by Hard Spun.
($300,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $330,000 HRA '22 FTKHRA).
O-King Abdullah bin A/Aziz Sons; B-Purple H Bloodstock (KY);
T-A Albadah; J-C Ospina; SAR300,000.
3–La Casa Tarifa (GB), 126, m, 9, Casamento (Ire)–Cool Tarifa
(Ire), by One Cool Cat. (£10,000 Ylg '15 DNPAUG; 16,000gns
HRA '17 TATNOV). O-Prince A/Aziz bin Fahd bin A/Aziz; B-;
T-N A Almindeel; J-Ah Alrashed; SAR225,000.
Margins: 10 1/4, 2 1/4, 2 1/4.

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