Tag: saudi cup

Australian Legend Glen Boss Will Come Out Of Retirement To Compete In Saudi Arabia’s Jockey Challenge

The first three jockeys in the 2022 stc International Jockeys Challenge have been announced, with recently retired Australian superstar Glen Boss climbing back into the saddle to compete in the four-race competition.

Last year's winner Shane Foley returns to defend his crown and Hayley Turner, the first female jockey in Britain to ride 100 winners in a calendar year, will also take her place in the line-up of seven female and seven male riders.

Boss (52), best known for winning three straight Melbourne Cups with Makybe Diva, as well as an astonishing 90 Group 1s in a glittering career, is looking forward to his return to race riding:

“I feel privileged and honored to be a part of the 2022 International Jockeys Challenge at The Saudi Cup,” said Boss. “I am extremely grateful to be representing Australia on the international stage and am eagerly looking forward to my arrival in Saudi Arabia for their prestigious carnival.”

“I have watched the rapid rise of this meeting in recent years, highlighted by the diverse international participation and significant prize purse on offer. To be able to participate in 2022 as a representative of Australia fills me with great pride and I very much look forward to being a part of it.”

Foley (33) won this year's stc International Jockeys Challenge and as the reigning champion is invited back to compete again.

“I really enjoyed my first International Jockeys Challenge,” said Foley. “It was a pleasure to ride against some great jockeys and I thought the track rode very well. It's nice to see them including the turf in this year's event, which might even give the European jockeys a bit of an edge.

“I knew after reading through the form last year that I had a couple of okay rides and it really is down to the luck of the draw in these jockey challenges. I got a few good chances, and it all went well for me thankfully. You need to get drawn on the good horses.

“I'm having an operation on my hip this week and so will be out of action for about six weeks, but I should be back riding and ready to go a good fortnight before the meeting.

“The prize money is brilliant, and you just have to see the list of jockeys that go out there to gauge how important it is for us. It's nice to be competing alongside them all and the likes of Saudi, Dubai and Bahrain are the places we need to be during the winter.

“I know Jessie [Harrington] will be aiming a couple for the Saturday too, including Ever Present in the Red Sea Turf and possibly Confident Star in the Saudi Derby, so it would be nice to have some rides on Saudi Cup day too.”

Turner (38) is one of Britain's most successful female jockeys and is also excited about the challenge, especially as she's had a spell on the sidelines after breaking her thumb.

“This will be my first time riding in Saudi and I'm really looking forward to it,” said Turner. “Hollie [Doyle] rode out there this year and I've spoken to a few others who have said it's a really nice track to ride.

“Apparently it's a bit like Belmont Park and I've ridden there a few times before. It's exciting to be part of The Saudi Cup meeting, it's been attracting a lot of people. The prize money is amazing so it's easy to see why.

“I always enjoy riding in jockey challenges. I've taken part in quite a few – Mauritius, South Africa, Japan, Ireland and France – and obviously the Shergar Cup is one of my favorites. It will be nice to tick another one off the list.

“I'm staying in the UK this winter. I've had a great year, but it got cut short a bit when I broke my thumb at Wolverhampton a few weeks ago. I'll be back riding in the next couple of weeks and it will be great to get back out on the track.”

The stc International Jockeys Challenge features four handicap races being run for $400,000 each, with a further $100,000 prize fund for the challenge itself.

This year one race over 1200m will be run on turf for the first time and all races will consist of 14 runners and five reserves, with all 14 jockeys riding in each race.

The jockeys are made up of seven international female riders, five international men and two local men with the jockeys receiving 15% of prize money won.

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‘That Gave Me Goosebumps’: Racing Industry Reacts To Flightline’s Malibu Performance

In just the third start of his career, Flightline lit up the racing world with a monster performance in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park, completing seven furlongs in 1:21.37. The 3-year-old son of Tapit is undefeated through three starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths, and his big run on Sunday earned the year's best Beyer Speed Figure of 118.

Trainer John Sadler has not committed to a next start for Flightline, though he mentioned the Saudi Cup and the Met Mile as possible targets in 2022.

“The bigger picture point I was trying to make is that he could run in any race, but we haven't honed in on anything, obviously,” Sadler told the Santa Anita publicity department. “The horse is on a different level. All has to go right, but we might be looking at a historic-type horse before it's all over.”

Owned by his breeder, Summer Wind Equine, as well as Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Flightline commanded a million-dollar price tag at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select yearling sale.

The horse racing industry was quick to react to Flightline's big win on Twitter, lauding his natural talent and even comparing the colt to some of history's greatest runners. Here's a selection of top Tweets:

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Flightline Earns Highest Beyer Of The Year For Malibu Romp

OK, so he wasn't beating Knicks Go, Essential Quality or Medina Spirit, but in racing right now, it seems there's Flightline and then there's everybody else.

The million-dollar son of Tapit exceeded all the pre-race hyperbole, displaying beyond a doubt he was more than the flavor of the month with a memorable victory in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes, opening day headliner at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Despite a slightly slow start and bumping with second choice Dr. Schivel in the seven-furlong race, Flightline never took a deep breath, winning by 11 ½ lengths, widening as he crossed the wire, getting seven furlongs in 1:21.37.

Coupled with his first two victories by a combined margin of 26 lengths, the three-year-old bay colt has won his three starts by a combined 37 ½ lengths, a tad over 12 lengths per race.

“He came out of the race good,” said John Sadler Monday morning. Sadler conditions Flightline for Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC.

“We're not looking at anything yet,” Sadler added, when asked about Flightline's next possible race. “We don't have any plans yet. It's too early for that,” although in a post-race TV interview he did mention the Saudi Cup and the Met Mile.

“The bigger picture point I was trying to make is that he could run in any race, but we haven't honed in on anything, obviously,” Sadler said.

“The horse is on a different level. All has to go right, but we might be looking at a historic-type horse before it's all over.

“We celebrated Christmas a day late.”

Indeed, and the celebration was further validated this morning when it became known that the freakishly good colt by Tapit had earned an astronomical 118 Beyer Speed Figure—best in America for 2021.

“It's the top Beyer of the year, surpassing the 114 posted by Flightline (Sept. 5) and Baby Yoda (Sept. 4) in separate races in September,” said Santa Anita Morning Line Maker Jon White. “Of course, Baby Yoda finished a distant second to Flightline yesterday.”

And so now, it is with great anticipation that horseplayers, not to mention racing secretaries everywhere, await Flightline's next assignment.

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Life Is Good Could Head To Saudi Cup After Pegasus Start

Life Is Good, a horse Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher describes as having “unlimited potential,” is on track for an epic battle with Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup next month, before connections consider a possible bid for the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Pletcher, who has had a phenomenal 2021, has identified four potential contenders for the world's most valuable race on Saturday, Feb. 26, any of which would become his first runners in Saudi Arabia.

The 54-year-old Texas-born trainer has been delighted with Life Is Good since his jaw-dropping 5¾ length win in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar last month.

“He's in great form and is training superbly like he always does. We're targeting the Pegasus right now and keeping an eye on both Saudi and Dubai,” said Pletcher. “We were very impressed [with his Breeders' Cup win], he threw it down from the beginning and ran some super-fast fractions. Everything he has done has always indicated that more distance will not be a problem.”

Knicks Go, who finished fourth in this year's Saudi Cup, will bid to end his career on a high by defending his Pegasus World Cup crown at Gulfstream Park next month after an impressive win in the Breeders' Cup Classic last time. Pletcher is clearly looking forward to the battle in Florida.

He said: “They are two horses with the same racing style, it really should be a thriller. We hope we come into it in good form and let our horse do his thing.”

The Saudi Cup would represent a different challenge for Life Is Good as a one-turn mile and an eighth contest, but that doesn't seem to worry Pletcher.

“It's a challenging race, we know that, but he ran very well in the Kelso at Belmont over a mile, so it should suit him fine,” he said. “We don't see the extra distance being a problem. The Pegasus is the plan, we can then make a decision after that.”

Happy Saver, a three-time winner at Belmont Park over a variety of distances, was a close second to Maxfield in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs last month and is another who could take in the Pegasus before potentially flying to Saudi.

“He just missed in the Clark, but he regained his best form and it was a big effort,” said Pletcher. “We're keeping an eye on the Pegasus for him and he'll be nominated for Saudi. He's a versatile horse, as he showed when winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont which isn't a true two-turn race.”

Dr Post was well beaten in the Clark Stakes last time but is another who could follow a similar route.

“We'll nominate him for Saudi as well. We were a little disappointed in his Clark effort, he just didn't seem to handle the surface that day,” said Pletcher. “It was a hard track to make up ground, but he was second to Tiz The Law in the 2020 Belmont Stakes and we think the set up in Saudi would suit him.”

“The Pegasus is also an option for him. We'll just see how it plays out, how everyone trains and keep our options open.”

The final horse Pletcher is considering for The Saudi Cup, for which entries close on Jan. 5, 2022, is Fearless who won the G3 Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

“He was an impressive winner at the weekend. He hasn't run in a Grade 1 yet, so he may not get invited, but he's always been a solid horse and we're trying to break through to the top level.”

While a runner in The Saudi Cup would be a first for Pletcher, he is clearly giving it careful consideration. He said: “It depends on the individual horse. Life Is Good has had some time off which helps. It's great to have these opportunities, it's proven to be a very attractive race.”

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