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Doyle Makes History On Saudi Cup Day, Guiding True Self Past Channel Maker In Neom Turf Cup

Hollie Doyle has become one of British racing's shining stars with her exploits over the last few months and her talents were demonstrated on the global stage with a perfect late run on True Self (IRE) in the US $1,000,000 Neom Turf Cup Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Now an 8-year-old mare, the Willie Mullins-trained True Self has been a real globe-trotter for Ireland, her most notable overseas victories to date coming with consecutive scores in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Australia.

Knowing that her mount would have plenty of stamina for the 2100m event, Doyle allowed For The Top (ARG) to take the field along before the big United Stakes contender Channel Maker (CAN) and Joel Rosario made their move along the backstretch.

Doyle, whose prolific streak of victories and first Group 1 success in 2020 even put her on the podium in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Award, timed it to perfection, coming past Rosario with 50m left to run and a length and a quarter clear at the post to become the first female jockey to ride a winner on the Saudi Cup card.

Quotes:

Hollie Doyle, jockey, New York Central, 1st: “It has been an incredible year, so it's great to get the new year off in a prestigious race such as this. I thought she was my best winning chance of the day, I watched all her performances and a step back in trip was a very clever move by Mr Mullins. They set a generous gallop the whole way round, but I managed to track them and got the splits up the straight. Willie said she's got one burst of speed and that's what she had.”

Willie Mullins, trainer, True Self: “It was a fantastic ride by Hollie and the team have done a great job out there. We bought her originally as a mare to go hurdling with but she just has a huge amount of speed and all the jockeys who rode her said a mile and a quarter would suit her. It didn't always work out but it was great to come for a big prize like this. The two plans this year were here and Australia at the end of the year. I'll have to talk to the owners, OTI Racing, to decide what else we do.”

Joel Rosario, jockey, Channel Maker, 2nd: “I mean it was good. The plan was to go to the lead and then he ran his race. I thought for a second I was going to get there and then the horse came with a strong run. He ran a big race. I got into Riyadh at one in the morning, everything was fine. I'm glad I made it here.”

The post Doyle Makes History On Saudi Cup Day, Guiding True Self Past Channel Maker In Neom Turf Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Prince Bandar Addresses Maximum Security 2020 Purse Issue

Interviewed on the world feed coverage of the Saudi Cup, Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said that he expected there to be “movement” on the U.S. case against Jason Servis which had been holding up the payment of last year's Saudi Cup purse.

Servis was the trainer of 2020's inaugural winner of the Saudi Cup, Maximum Security (New Year's Day), who has never been awarded prize money for the victory. Two weeks after the race, Servis was one of 27 people named in a criminal indictment for “widespread, corrupt scheme by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses under scheme participants' control,” by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

While the rest of the field was paid their share of the purse, including runner-up Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), Maximum Security's $10-million winning payout has been withheld.

Nick Luck, the host of the program, asked Prince Bandar about the issue.

“It was a wonderful night last year,” said Luck. “We all left here with a real spring in our step. It was a terrific horse race between Maximum Security and Midnight Bisou, but racefans around the world are familiar with what has happened since, because Maximum Security's then-trainer was indicted on very serious illegal medication charges, just a couple of weeks later. What is your position at the moment, because you have withheld the purse money from Maximum Security's owners up to this point?”

“That is true,” said Prince Bandar, “and we are sort of in a hold position now waiting for the U.S. authorities to move forward with that case. We understand in the coming six weeks there will be some kind of movement on it which will allow us to move forward and bring this to a close. I feel we don't have long to wait for it, but as you said, it's an unfortunate situation. I had a soft spot for that horse. I thought he got a raw deal in the Kentucky Derby. It was fair, but he was the best horse on the day. Here, he was the best horse on the day and he was a victim of circumstances that have nothing to do with the horse himself, but we have to abide by the international rules and regulations and somebody will get the prize money. We have paid out all of the other positions, and I feel that within six weeks, hopefully, we'll put this issue to a close.”

Jim Gagliano, the president and chief operating officer of The (American) Jockey Club, said that he had not been informed on any movement on the case. “These are government proceedings and they don't provide updates,” said Gagliano.

The most recent news on the case came on February 5, when Jorge Navarro and Seth Fishman, DVM, the trainer and veterinarian indicted on the same charges, both filed motions to dismiss the drug alteration and misbranding conspiracy charges levied against them in United States District Court (Southern District of New York).”

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Gifts Of Gold Gives Godolphin Saudi Double

There was little in Gifts Of Gold (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})'s recent form to suggest that a win against top marathoners was on the cards, but a surface switch and the addition of cheekpieces as well as a few furlongs proved just the tonic for the Saeed bin Suroor-trained 6-year-old gelding to score an upset victory in the $2.5-million 3000 metre Red Sea Turf H. in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Settling about two lengths off the moderate early tempo set by the defending champ and Group 1-winning stayer Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Gifts Of Gold was kept off the fence by Pat Cosgrave as the field passed the stands for the first time. The dark bay dropped back slightly down the backstretch and was floated out further by Cosgrave on the run into the third and final bend, with Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) on terms with him on the rail and Secret Advisor (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) rallying to split them. Four-wide at the top of the straight as Call The Wind called it a day, Gifts Of Gold collared Making Miracles (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who had inherited the lead from Call The Wind, at the 300 metre mark as Spanish Mission kicked on from his inside position and Secret Advisor continued to make up ground. Gifts Of Gold was never truly threatened once he made the front, however, staying on to win by 1 1/4 lengths from Spanish Mission, with Secret Advisor a neck back in third. Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid) grabbed fourth. The win marked a double for Godolphin, which had won the stc 1351 Turf Sprint a race earlier with Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“This was the plan since January when racing started in Dubai,” said winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “I thought he would be the perfect horse. He's a big strong horse and he ran well. The pace of the race wasn't that fast and that suited him and he finished the race off really well.

“Pat is good jockey and he has won big races for us in Australia, England and Germany. We're happy. We will take him back to Dubai and maybe he will go for the [G2 Dubai] Gold Cup on Mar. 27]. I'm sure he will improve some more.”

Cosgrave added, “That was great. Hopefully we're not finished yet. He was 110 there in a handicap so you have to think he's a horse for the [G1] Melbourne Cup maybe next year. He relaxes good and he has that turn of foot which is perfect for Melbourne.”

Ryan Moore said of Spanish Mission, “He ran a nice race, you must be happy with that first run of the year.”

Gifts Of Gold made his Dubai Carnival debut last year, his best finish in four starts that campaign being a third in the Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic over a mile and a half. The bay dropped down to 2000 metres to win a Chelmsford handicap on Aug. 27, and was last of four in the G3 Legacy Cup S. He made his seasonal and dirt debut in the one-mile G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 on Jan. 21 and was last, beaten forty-plus lengths.

Pedigree Notes

A €280,000 purchase from the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale-the same sale at which Godolphin purchased its four-time Group 1 champion Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for €1.1-million-Gifts Of Gold is out of the unraced Sanna Bay (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), who was already responsible for the listed-winning Dusky Queen (Ire) (Shamardal) and the multiple graded stakes-placed Achnaha (Ire) (Haatef). Sanna Bay is a half-sister to the G3 Sweet Solera S. winner Albabilia (Ire) (King's Best) and the Laurel Futurity third Brainy Benny (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}). She has a yearling filly by Kodiac (GB).

RED SEA TURF H. (Cond.), $2,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-20, 4yo/up, 3000mT, 3:14.24, gd to fm.
1-GIFTS OF GOLD (IRE), 128, g, 6, Invincible Spirit (Ire)-Sanna Bay (Ire), by Refuse To Bend (Ire). (€280,000 wnl '15 GOFNOV) O-Godolphin; B-Paul Hyland (Ire); T-Saeed bin Suroor. £1,094,890. Lifetime Record: SP-UAE, 13-4-3-1, £1,143,591. *1/2 to Dusky Queen (Ire) (Shamardal), SW-Eng, $157,962; and Achnaha (Ire) (Haatef), MGSP-US & GSP-Ire, $224,655.
2-Spanish Mission, 128, h, 5, Noble Mission (GB)-Limonar (Ire), by Street Cry (Ire). ($125,000 yrl '17 KEESEP; 60,000gns RNA 2yo '18 TATAPR) O-Team Valor LLC & Gary Barber; B-St Elias Stables LLC; T-Andrew Balding. £364,963.
3-Secret Advisor (Fr), 132, g, 7, Dubawi (Ire)-Sub Rose (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Godolphin; B-CEA Haras de Saint Pair (Fr); T-Charlie Appleby.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1. Also Ran: Red Verdon, Making Miracles (GB), Mildenberger (GB), Mirinaque (Arg), New Show (Ire), Prince Of Arran (GB), Mekong (GB), Call The Wind (GB), Barbados (Ire), Arctic Sound (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.

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Space Blues Up For Turf Sprint Win

The favourite and headline act Channel Maker (English Channel) may have been upset in the card-opening Neom Turf Cup, but that was not the case 35 minutes later, with last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest victor Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) obliging at short odds for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby. Stalking the pace just off the fence, Space Blues and William Buick sat on the heels of last year's winner Dark Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) down the backstretch. Space Blues had about three lengths to make up upon turning for home and he was briefly seamed in by his stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), but when daylight appeared so did Space Blues, charging down the middle of the track to overhaul Dark Power in a well-timed ride and win by three-quarters of a length, with longshot Urban Icon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), a now locally trained 320,000gns buy from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale last year, holding on gamely after pressing the early pace to be third.

The winner of his lone start at two, Space Blues picked up his first black-type win, with Urban Icon a neck behind in second, in the Listed Surrey S. going seven furlongs at Epsom at three. He built on that promise to be second in the G3 Jersey S. and G1 Prix Jean Prat and third in the Maurice de Gheest before season's end, and after kicking off his 4-year-old campaign with a nondescript seventh in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, Space Blues truly blossomed upon his return to Europe last summer. The chestnut went unbeaten in four starts, taking Haydock's Listed Spring Trophy S., the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot and the G2 Lennox S. all over seven furlongs before dropping down to 6 1/2 for a career-best victory in the Maurice de Gheest over the dual Group 1 winner Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}). Space Blues was defying a more than six-month layoff to keep his winning streak alive on Saturday.

“Absolutely delighted with that,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. “We knew he was a class horse coming into the race and he had a lovely draw. I could see [the ground] was a bit loose for him and our concern was that he might just spin a bit on it, but he's come back on the bridle turning in like a class horse and put the race to bed at the right time.

Buick added, “We had a great run through. He broke well and I didn't want to be too close to the pace. The pace was perfect. It wasn't too hot or too slow. I followed Frankie [on Dark Power] before the split in the straight. It was how I hoped the race would pan out. He was the best horse and I didn't want to go for any heroics. You'd imagine this would set him for the [G1] Al Quoz [Sprint on Mar. 27].”

Pedigree Notes

Space Blues is the sixth foal out of the G2 Challenge S. scorer Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre), who was bred by Sheikh Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud. Miss Lucifer's first foal was Godolphin's Shuruq (Elusive Quality), who ran at the Dubai World Cup Carnival for Saeed bin Suroor in 2013 and 2014 and won the G3 UAE Oaks, G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 and G3 Burj Nahaar before going on to take the G3 International Istanbul Trophy in Turkey. Shuruq has gotten off to a good start at stud in America, her first two foals being the Grade III-placed Javanica (Medaglia d'Oro) and the listed-winning and dual Grade I-placed Antoinette (Hard Spun), while she has a 2-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro and a yearling colt by Uncle Mo. Featuring under Space Blues's third dam High Spirited (Ire) (Shirley Heights {GB}) is the G1 1000 Guineas victress Virginia Waters (Kingmambo) and G1 Matron S. winner Chachamaidee (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Miss Lucifer has a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire).

STC 1351 TURF SPRINT (Cond.), $1,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-20, 4yo/up, 1351mT, 1:20.03, gd to fm.
1-SPACE BLUES (IRE), 126, h, 5, Dubawi (Ire)-Miss Lucifer (Fr)
(GSW-Eng, $193,403), by Noverre. O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie
Appleby. £437,956. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, GSW-Eng, 14-8-
3-1, £820,329. *1/2 to Shuruq (Elusive Quality), Hwt. Older
Mare-UAE at 7 to 9.5f, MGSW-UAE, GSW-Tur, GSP-Eng,
$484,000.
2-Dark Power (Ire), 126, g, 7, Dark Angel (Ire)-Sixfields Flyer
(Ire), by Desert Style (Ire). (€80,000 yrl '15 GOFSEP; 50,000gns
RNA HRA '17 TATNOV; 42,000gns HRA '18 TATOCT) O-Al
Adiyat Racing; B-Mr Guy O'Callaghan; T-Allan Smith. £145,985.
3-Urban Icon (GB), 126, h, 5, Cityscape (GB)-Fauran (Ire), by
Shamardal. (21,905gns yrl '17 TATSEP; 340,000gns RNA HRA
'19 TATOCT; 320,000gns HRA '20 TATOCT) O-Prince Faisal Bin
Khaled Bin A/Aziz; B-Minster Stud; T-Fahad Saad. £72,992.
Margins: 3/4, 1/4, 3/4. Also Ran: Glorious Journey (GB), Land Of Legends (Ire), Momkin (Ire), Avalina, Larchmont Lad (Ire), Krispen (Ire), Royal Dornoch (Ire). DNF: Captain Von Trapp.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.

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