Tag Archive for: Neom Turf Cup

Breeders’ Cup a long-term possibility for Saudi scorer Mostahdaf

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Connections of Mostahdaf may target the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the end of the year should he continue to sparkle this summer.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt took his earnings to over £1million with a seven-length demolition of a strong Neom Turf Cup field in Riyadh on Saturday.

Jim Crowley’s mount was one of the easiest winners over the two-day Saudi Cup meeting and following his eighth victory in 13 career starts, the son of Frankel may now head to Dubai for the Sheema Classic.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owners Shadwell Estate Company, said plans for Mostahdaf could involve working back from the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November.

“He hasn’t got back to England yet, so we haven’t sat down to discuss plans,” said Gold. “Obviously, we want to see that he is in good shape and take it from there, but the Sheema Classic is the obvious route.

“I’d be silly if I said anything other than I was very impressed by him. On his day, he is a pretty high-class horse. He seems to go well fresh.

“I thought they did brilliantly to prepare a horse like that through an English winter, to go out and run a race like that first-time out.”

Very soft conditions did not suit when last of 20 in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October.

Jim Crowley/Riyadh
Jim Crowley gives the post-race de-brief to Thady Gosden (left) and Shadwell’s assistant racing manager Richard Hills (Simon Milham/PA)

Yet the five-year-old looked in great shape ahead of the Group Three Neom Turf Cup and from an ideal draw at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Crowley had the race won turning for home, before he was eased down at the end of the extended mile-and-a-quarter race.

“He was in a perfect spot and all went his way,” said Gold.

“The one thing we do know about him is he loves proper fast ground. He moved beautifully on that fast ground on Saturday.

“Jim said to me that something like aiming him backwards at the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year on fast ground, the mile-and-a-half race, might be an option.

“We haven’t sat down to make any long-term plans, though. With these sort of horses, it is fairly obvious sort of races. If he goes back to the Sheema, he is going to need a break then, so there will be nothing early.

“Depending on how he comes out of it all, you’d obviously look at Royal Ascot.

“I would say anything mid-summer onwards, anything from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half would suit.

“He had plenty of speed on Saturday, but we know he stays a mile and a half.

“The options are varied, but we know he goes well fresh and so I think we will pick and choose our spots, but get him through Dubai first in one piece, hopefully.”

Boughey eyeing Saudi riches with Missed The Cut

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George Boughey has high hopes that Missed The Cut can strike for the British raiders at the fourth edition of the Saudi Cup and become the flag-bearer for his Newmarket yard.

The young trainer has enjoyed a stratospheric rise since taking out his licence in 2019, just like the horse who will represent him in Saturday’s Neom Turf Cup at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Boughey enjoyed Classic success for the first time last season, with Cachet landing the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile, and there is confidence in the camp that Missed The Cut can also make his mark at the top level in due course.

The American-bred four-year-old had not seen a racecourse until April last year, but won four of his first six races, including victory in the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He subsequently bounced back from a Group Two defeat at Deauville to beat leading Dubai World Cup hope Algiers at Lingfield in November and Boughey has kept his powder dry since ahead of what he hopes could be a huge year.

“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 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 Two.

“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 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 and a half furlongs around the turf on Saturday. He has plenty of pace and he should go pretty well.”

Boughey believes his charge is only now starting to mature, adding: “He is a very good-looking horse and he’s only sort of furnishing now. 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.”

Missed The Cut winning at Royal Ascot
Missed The Cut winning at Royal Ascot (Adam Davy/PA)

He went on: “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.”

Boughey harbours hopes that Missed The Cut could make a return to Riyadh next year for the Saudi Cup itself, should all go to plan.

He added: “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 Lanes 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.”

Oisin Murphy has been among the winners since his return from suspension
Oisin Murphy has been among the winners since his return from suspension (John Walton/PA)

Oisin Murphy, fresh from his 14-month ban, will take the ride for the first time.

The Irishman has only had six previous rides for Boughey, yet the conditioner is eyeing a long-term partnership with the former champion jockey.

Boughey said: “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.”

Sir Busker team opt for Turf goal at Saudi Cup fixture

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William Knight is hoping to sharpen Sir Busker’s stall speed ahead of his run in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia.

The seven-year-old holds an entry in the Riyadh Group Three run over an extended 10 furlongs on February 25.

The decision to run the gelding in the contest took some reaching, however, with Knight and connections also considering the Saudi Cup itself for a massive prize fund of over £7million to the winner.

Ultimately the surface was the deciding factor as the Saudi Cup is run on dirt, a surface Sir Busker has not encountered before.

“We have talked long and hard about this, which one to go for? I promise you it has changed daily!” said Knight.

Sir Busker at Royal Ascot
Sir Busker at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the jockeys about the dirt out there and taken advice from a few people. It’s a really hard one because it is such an amazing opportunity to run for that sort of money in the Saudi Cup.

“I just feel now that the trip will really suit him. We know he goes well on the turf, just looking at the entries for both races, I think we have a better chance of being in the first three in the Neom than we would on the dirt.”

A factor in the decision to stick to turf was Sir Busker’s slow exits from the stalls in recent starts, a habit Knight is aiming to improve but one that would leave him facing significant kickback were he to lose lengths at the start of a race run on dirt.

The trainer said: “He has been slowly away and though we are doing stalls work with him, if he does face the kickback on the dirt, he’ll have never really encountered that. As much as the money is very, very tempting, I think we’ve sided with the turf.

“We need to address it, I purposely hadn’t over the winter because I just thought it was something he had got into at the end of the season.

Sir Busker winning at Royal Ascot
Sir Busker (second from right) winning at Royal Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“His last couple of runs he was just slightly slowly away. I’m glad we ran him at Lingfield the other day, we just needed to blow the cobwebs out but you wouldn’t want that to happen at the meeting in the three weeks time.

“We’re going to address it this week – we’ve got (stalls specialist) Craig Witheford booked on Thursday to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Sir Busker finished second in the Listed Tandridge Stakes on Saturday, where he was partnered by Ryan Moore as horse and jockey got acquainted before heading to Saudi Arabia.

“Ryan will ride Sir Busker. Ben Curtis has done very well on him but we didn’t know if he was going to be back and riding fit in time for him, he’s out for a long time with a shoulder injury,” Knight explained.

“This is why Ryan rode him at Lingfield the other day, to get a feel of him because he’s never ridden him before and with a view to riding him in the Neom.”

Sir Busker’s trainer William Knight at Royal Ascot
Sir Busker’s trainer William Knight at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

Sir Busker signed off last term with two runs Knight regards as career highlights, a victory in the Group Two York Stakes and a third place in the Group One Juddmonte at the same track.

Those performances are proof that he is only improving with age and Knight is hopeful that theme can continue into this season as he provides owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds with an experience many can only dream of.

“Having looked at the entries and what is going to run, he has got as good a chance as any of them,” he said.

“The owners have all got one 16th in him each and they know how lucky they are, they know that this is the horse of a lifetime.

“Everyone’s on a journey and it’s great. Some of the owners have had a bit of bad luck with other horses over the last few years and this has reignited it and that’s so important for everyone.

“He’s given everyone so much enjoyment and hopefully he can continue that through the season.”