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 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.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/724a94fb-8726-4964-ba56-5f8c1859363c-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-02 15:53:072023-03-02 15:53:07Breeders’ Cup a long-term possibility for Saudi scorer Mostahdaf
The British flag was gloomily lowered in a sunlit corner of the globe yet again on Saturday when long-absent 2021 Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist began his comeback in a noble yet unequivocal defeat.
He came only 12th of 13 in the $2.5million Red Sea Turf Handicap, beaten 10 lengths by Japan’s Silver Sonic.
The British contingent began to have a sinking feeling as soon as Joe Fanning rounded the bend at the end of the back straight. There was no burst of brilliant acceleration as in many of his other races, no hint of the imperiousness shown in his finest hour at the royal meeting two years ago.
Subjectivist could not even get close to Get Shirty, who came third, while the real battle was fought between Silver Sonic and Enemy who had finished 14th in the Ebor before winning a Dubai handicap, but not a horse on any previous reckoning in Subjectivist’s division.
Silver Sonic strode away to win by two and a half lengths. Subjectivist did not add to his bank-balance, although his owner, Scottish-born, Hong Kong-based economist Dr Jim Walker will survive.
After winning the Group One Prix Royal-Oak, Dubai Gold Cup and Ascot Gold Cup, Subjectivist’s winnings have just squeezed over the £750,000 mark. A win would have given him an additional £1.25m.
After the race came one of those jockey-trainer conversations between Fanning and Charlie Johnston which consist mostly of gesticulations, shrugs and quiet pauses. The significant sign language consisted of Fanning drawing his hands in to indicate the horse did not respond enough to his restraint.
Johnston has learned plenty from his father, for he was philosophical and consoling; it may be imagination, but one felt that the saddest figure in the tableau was Subjectivist, who could not utter an explanation.
A total of 618 days have passed since he cantered all over his rivals in the 2021 Ascot Gold Cup. Johnston, quite understandably, felt the lay-off with a near-fore tendon injury – which, but for mastery, patience and possibly wizardry, almost ended his career – made the difference.
“He was just too keen and I said to Joe this morning when we walked the track, that the couple of days he’d been on the track that he was just a bit too full of himself,” he said.
“The main thing now is he comes back in one piece and he’s shown that the enthusiasm for it is still there. We’ll lower our sights and we’ll go a bit closer to home, then find out where we are.
“I’m not too disappointed. I knew four out he was in trouble, because at that stage in Dubai and Ascot, that’s when he starts putting others to the sword and that wasn’t there.”
The trainer had a touch of triskaidekaphobia when the draw was made. Unlucky 13 it certainly was, leaving Fanning no choice but to go forward from the gate in the mile and seven-furlong contest.
Sunjectivist was lit up early and Fanning, himself recently coming off a lengthy injury, will doubtless feel a little sore in the shoulders after battling in vain for restraint.
Although a few months to go, Subjectivist’s defeat may be especially bad news for Royal Ascot’s marketeers, with Kyprios now almost certain to repeat his Gold Cup success and maintain his position as one of the finest stayers in history. For time is on the youngster’s side. Though only a year older at six, time lost has been an enemy of the Johnston team.
His trainer was philosophical, however, and added: “We knew what we are asking him to do was a big, big ask, but at the same time, where do you take the horse that won the Ascot Gold Cup last time out?”
This may have not been a day to extol European racing – the Brits were the ones who were defeated in every race bar one they entered, the gallant Mostahdaf, under an imperious ride from Jim Crowley, took the Group Three Neom Turf Cup in which George Boughey’s Missed The Cut was disappointing.
It was the same, too, for the Americans, with Bill Mott’s Elite Power finally giving the fans what they wanted – an armchair ride from Frankie Dettori, who scored by the proverbial country mile on the Juddmonte-owned “aeroplane” in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Aside from that, the American horses were a little disappointing, the deeper dirt surface – which Dettori extolled as perhaps the best in the world – not playing to their strengths.
Yet it was still one heck of a day’s racing. Over 20,000 good-tempered local racegoers turned up at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
In the £20m Saudi Cup, the most valuable in the sport, Dettori stormed home late to take second on Country Grammer behind the Japanese-trained Panthalassa – the Bob Baffert-trained challenger finishing in the same spot as he did 12 months ago when ridden by Flavien Prat.
It was Japan’s third success of the evening – thanks to a brilliant ride from Yutaka Yoshida in a race where the Japanese-trained horses filled the first five places except the runner-up spot. There were also two victories for locally-trained horses, whose owners pocketed a combined $1.5m.
The people trying to turn the Saudi Cup event into something akin to a transglobal Super Bowl still have some way to go, but they are making this an established fixture on the international racing calendar – even though this was not a day for the Brits to truly celebrate.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/5ff3d3da-0ee2-450e-89c6-9eeff3ae959c-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-25 19:07:002023-02-25 19:07:00Mostahdaf apart, Saudi Cup day proves hard work for British runners
Frankie Dettori and Country Grammer just missed out as Panthalassa produced a remarkable front-running performance to strike gold for Japan in the $20million Saudi Cup.
The Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer was narrowly denied in the world’s most valuable race 12 months ago when ridden by Flavien Prat, before providing Dettori with a fourth Dubai World Cup success at Meydan a few weeks later.
Following a readying win in California on Boxing Day, the six-year-old returned to Riyadh as one of two leading contenders for the Baffert team along with multiple Grade One winner Taiba – but Panthalassa set a strong gallop from the off at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse and could not be reeled in.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Yutaka Yoshida, Panthalassa dead-heated in last year’s Dubai Turf with Lord North who earlier in the day had landed a far less lucrative Winter Derby at Lingfield.
Such was the pace Panthalassa set, Baffert’s pair were under pressure before the home turn and it briefly looked like it could be a Japanese one-two-three-four with a trio of compatriots chasing Panthalassa up the straight.
But Dettori conjured a storming late rally out of Country Grammer, with the line coming just too soon as he was narrowly denied once again.
Yahagi – who also on the mark with Bathrat Leon in the Turf Sprint – said: “It is unbelievable. I have no words. I am very, very happy. He was in stall one, so I said it was OK to go to the front. I was happy when he went three wide off the rail. The ground was a little bit faster and he needs it fast.
A day never to be forgotten for trainer Yoshito Yahagi (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley)
“This win is higher than any other I have had – of course it is the best feeling, because the prize-money is the best, too!
“I really can’t believe it at the moment. It does not feel real, but I’d like to say thanks to my staff and the horse.
“Winning this is not easy. Japanese racing tries everything to improve and develop and (make) Japanese horse racing to become more international – and we have done that.”
He added: “I will discuss with my owner and then we will decide if we go to Dubai for the World Cup, which is of course a possibility.
What a finish to the Saudi Cup (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley)
“If my owners let me go to Europe, I would love the challenge. When I started training, no one knew me and when I wore a hat they knew who I was. Today, I wore the same hat I wore at the Breeders’ Cup. I have between 200 and 300 hats. I don’t count. It would be fun if they started a game where they bet on the colour of my hat.”
A jubilant Yoshida said: “He sometimes doesn’t jump well, so I concentrated on giving him a good start and he did it. When he took an early lead the others did not give too much pressure to him. The pace was not too strong for him, it was another factor for him to keep finding until the line.
“I did break well and then it was straightforward. Mr Yahagi said to me to ride my race and I would get a good result. I didn’t think about the surface. I just rode my race and thought if he adapts to the track, it would be all right. Of course, they were coming for me in the straight, but Panthalassa always found another gear and so I kept riding.
“It is an unforgettable moment and I am very happy to have ridden the winner.”
Dettori, meanwhile, is hopeful Country Grammer can repeat his heroics of last year in the Dubai World Cup, with an extra furlong in his favour.
Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori after winning the Dubai World Cup (Neil Morrice/PA)
He said: “He ran a super race. I was outpaced all the way. I travelled to stay and thought I would be sixth really, then they all died and bless him, he’s got so much heart.
“I stayed on well, but his game is a mile and a quarter and we go back to Dubai.
“I was way back because I couldn’t lay up. I pushed him all the way. It was a super run. Like I said, at the quarter pole, I’m sixth here and thought ‘I’m not going to get any money’.
“In fairness, it was a bit like last year and he was closing all the while.
“It has been a great experience, this meeting. I’m always smiling!”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/7516b418-2275-4aef-915c-f1aed31ef9d6-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-25 18:05:332023-02-25 19:20:08Panthalassa holds on to deny Dettori and Country Grammer in Saudi Cup
The fourth edition of the Saudi Cup meeting kicked off with a fascinating International Jockeys Challenge which went down to the final race, with Britain’s Joanna Mason narrowly denied by Luis Saez.
Mick Easterby’s granddaughter was in contention throughout the four handicap races, each worth $200,000 to the winner.
It was crack US jockey Saez who earned enough points to pocket a $100,000 windfall for finishing on top of the leaderboard, sealing his success with his second runner-up placing of the night in the final event, with Mason only managing fifth place with the former Ed and Simon Crisford-inmate Labeebb.
Saez led form the first race, when coming late and fast aboard Wajaab to pip the Mason-ridden Najm Alenaya in the last 200 yards.
Mason, 32, turned the tables and was tied at the top when landing the second race aboard Medbaas. Saez finished runner-up aboard Kareem, then edged ahead in the competition with a sixth-placed effort before his second runner-up finish of the evening.
Panamanian roder Saez, who rode at the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting in 2020 and is a veteran of over 2,600 winners, said: “It is wonderful to come here. I am proud to come to Saudi Arabia and it is fantastic to be part of the Jockeys International Challenge.
“The horses ran well and it was great to win. I am very happy.”
Mason was far from disconsolate, despite eventually being pipped for second by star Japanese rider Yuga Kawada.
She said: “To finish third was amazing. To even be part of the challenge was amazing and to win would have been the best.
“I didn’t get the best of runs in the last race, as I got cut up on the rail. I’ve had to take back. I wouldn’t have been a winner, but I would think I would have been in the first four and got placed points, but that’s racing.
“To be third is better than nowhere. I’m the only girl on the leaderboard, so I can’t complain. Doing it for the girls!”
Mason has a happy knack of producing the goods in these jockeys’ challenges. She was a winner at Ascot’s Shergar Cup last year.
“The Shergar Cup was amazing, interacting with the girls there. I love travelling and going to these different countries and representing the UK and the girls.
“To ride a winner is amazing. Caitlin Jones won this last year and it was amazing. It is doing our little bit for the girls.”
In a country where the barriers for putting women on equal terms with men are slow to come down, Mason feels time and a heightened profile for women riders will help her sport, at least.
Joanna Mason was successful at the Shergar Cup last year (John Walton/PA)
“It has all been about stereotyping,” she added. “Definitely in the UK, the likes of Hayley (Turner), Hollie (Doyle) and Nicola Currie, we have a strong ladies’ contingent. Put us against the boys and you can’t tell.
“We are definitely breaking down barriers and there is still a little bit (of resistance) there, but we are fighting our way and hopefully the rest of the world can continue that.
Joanna Mason and Luis Saez were locked in a thriller (Simon Milham/PA)
“It is not all about who is stronger and fitter. The girls are just as balanced and have a racing brain on them, and hopefully we can prove them all wrong.”
Mason returns home on Sunday and will be a regular on the all-weather tracks, rather than heading to Dubai.
Yet she continues to build her profile and hopes she will be invited back to Saudi next year.
Luiz Saez pocketed $100,000 for winning the Jockeys Challenge (Simon Milham/PA)
She added: “No one I ride for has horses out in Dubai, but another year and to have the opportunity to ride out there would be amazing.
“This experience has been great. I’m doing well in England and can’t complain. I’m up there with the top females and if I can better last year and get involved in things like this next year, it will be amazing.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/0999fdd2-9e3f-4059-8605-972632bc6fd4-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-24 17:12:242023-02-24 18:00:10Joanna Mason secures third in International Jockeys Challenge
A horse who has been off the track for over 600 days and a veteran jockey with only a handful of rides in the past six months are chasing a prize of over £1million as Subjectivist lines up in the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Riyadh.
Subjectivist had just cemented his position as the leading stayer of his generation when winning the Gold Cup at Ascot in 2021, following up an utterly dominant display in Dubai.
He subsequently sustained a tendon injury which has kept him off the track since and at one point there was talk of retirement. There was never any thought of retirement for 52-year-old Fanning, though, who has only just come back from a shoulder injury picked up in June.
Since Subjectivist was last seen, Charlie Johnston was added to the licence by his father, Mark, who then retired, leaving his son in sole control.
SUBJECTIVIST (Charlie Johnston) will make his track return in Saturday's Red Sea Turf Handicap in Riyadh, after 618 days off, having suffered a tendon injury following his Ascot Gold Cup victory in 2021. He has the widest draw in stall 13, however. pic.twitter.com/rpkXGkIRjL
“It is a feeling of the unknown,” said the younger Johnston.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t feel we would be competitive. Can I have the same confidence I had two years ago? No. This horse is coming back from a serious tendon injury, a tendon injury that in a lot of cases is career-ending. It is not like a bone injury that you know would have repaired to 100 per cent.
“There will be a reasonable number of the field who would not want to be particularly aggressive. Stall 13 wouldn’t have been my first choice of where to jump from, but it is what we’ve got and we just have to make the best of the situation.
“The horse seems in good fettle with himself and it’s all systems go. I think he is showing the signs of a horse who has spent 20 months away from the track and he was always quite a difficult horse to lead up, particularly on a raceday going back a couple of years, so it doesn’t concern me to see him full of himself. In fact, I’d much rather see him like that than the other way.”
Other UK interest in the race includes John and Thady Gosden’s Ebor winner Trawlerman, the mount of Frankie Dettori.
Trawlerman (white hat) was given a peach by Frankie Dettori to win the Ebor (Mike Egerton/PA)
Thady Gosden said: “He’s an Ebor winner who was able to make the step up to Group class when he was third in the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day at Ascot, so you would like to think he will continue to develop into a good stayer.
“But this is a very good race, not least with the return of Subjectivist, and he faces very tough competition in a very competitive handicap.”
Karl Burke’s Al Qareem, David O’Meara’s Get Shirty, Andrew Balding’s Nate The Great and the Ian Williams-trained Enemy also run.
All eyes will be on George Boughey’s Missed The Cut in the Neom Turf Cup given he beat Algiers in his prep race.
MISSED THE CUT (George Boughey) stretched his legs this morning ahead of Saturday's Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/axtPQRhbnR
Simon and Ed Crisford’s charge has made giant strides in Dubai subsequently, giving Boughey plenty of confidence.
He said: “We’re happy with him. He beat the Dubai World Cup favourite (Algiers) on the all-weather at Lingfield back in November and he comes here in super shape, so we are looking forward to it.
“The Algiers form is obviously good form. Algiers has taken his form to a different level on the dirt in Meydan and this is a whole different kettle of fish for Missed The Cut. It is a tight 10 and a bit furlongs around the turf here. He has got plenty of pace and I’m hoping he should go well.”
Saeed bin Suroor’s pair of Dubai Future and White Moonlight, the Gosden-trained Mostahdaf and William Knight’s stalwart Sir Busker are other familiar names lining up.
In the 1351 Turf Sprint, Richard Hannon runs both Happy Romance and Lusail, while Charlie Hills is represented by Garrus and Pogo. Japanese runner Songline looks the one to beat having won the race 12 months ago.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2.70991724-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-24 14:46:062023-02-24 14:46:06Subjectivist primed for high-profile Saudi return
Frankie Dettori is saying all the right things. No desert storm over the latest whip rules, no sign of annoyance at the umpteenth question about his retirement.
He is on autopilot in Riyadh. His smile is almost forced. He looks tired, yet somehow leaner as he sits before the waiting press conference ahead of the fourth edition of the Saudi Cup.
Country Grammer will be his partner in the big one. And there are $20million reasons why the latest pit-stop on this long-goodbye tour matters.
The Saudi Cup came calling, of course. They want star power to promote the event and while much of the King Abdulaziz Racecourse still looks like a building site 48 hours before the big race itself, there is no better salesman than Dettori.
On Friday, he will ride in the International Jockeys Challenge – a series of four handicap races, each run for an eye-watering $400,000 – alongside five other international male riders, two locals and seven international female jockeys. All 14 jockeys will ride in each of the dirt and turf races.
“I’m looking forward to it. Tomorrow is the appetiser for the big one,” insists Dettori.
“I’ve been coming here for 30 years. I’m part of the furniture and I know most of the trainers and I’m riding with some great jockeys, so I was honoured to be asked.”
The dirt track, which surrounds the lush, green Riyadh turf course, is considered by many riders to be the best in the world.
“Back in the day we used to race at a track in the city centre and this track has been built about 15 years, and it is very much like the footprint of Belmont in New York,” says the Italian, who will make his 11th seasonal appearance in Saudi Arabia, where he has ridden six winners from 72 rides.
Dettori loves the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt track (Simon Milham/PA)
“I’d say this is the best dirt track I have ever ridden. It is kinder than other dirt tracks I’ve ridden throughout the world.
“For example, you saw Mishriff, a turf horse, win the Saudi Cup a few years ago, so it does open things up a bit for turf horses and I really enjoy riding here.
“Basically this (event) is getting bigger and bigger. The Saudi Cup has found a good slot in the international racing calendar.
“It just shows you with the kind of (quality) horses we will ride this weekend.”
A couple of months spent in America have appeared to have done him the world of good. The positivity is genuine enough and certainly a far cry from the angst of a public fall-out with John Gosden, whose thinly veiled criticism of the jockey’s work ethic surfaced after a run of bad luck and a smattering of unfortunate rides at Royal Ascot in the summer. Bridges were quickly mended, lessons learned.
Dettori has since been riding out of his magnificently tanned skin, helped by his old friend and ally, trainer Bob Baffert.
Frankie was playing a straight bat at Riyadh (Simon Milham/PA)
His recent stint at Santa Anita has reaped rich rewards and while not exactly fresh from a fabulous four-timer at Santa Anita on Saturday, one gets the feeling that he has surprised himself a touch.
“It has been overwhelming,” Dettori adds. “I didn’t expect to do so well, especially some great rides at Santa Anita and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been getting all sorts of support from a variety of trainers, so it is going well.”
Dettori announced this will be his last season in the saddle in December. Riyadh was the first place the international media had gathered in numbers to get his thoughts. Taken aback, he ticked the boxes, fielded the same questions he has faced – and will certainly continue to bat back – with the courtesy they demanded.
Prodded by a Japanese correspondent about the decision to retire, Dettori replies: “It is only just sinking in, now that I’m stopping, that I have thought about it.
Dettori is looking to the future, but what that entails appears fluid (Tim Goode/PA)
“Since I announced my retirement, I have been overwhelmed by the warmth of the people in and out of racing. That is the bit I will miss.
“I only started off as a young kid with a dream to be a jockey and I think I’ve pretty much succeeded, and the last few months have been a great journey and everyone has been very nice. That’s all I have to say.”
Another prod to expand, produced another straight bat. ”I gave myself a year to give myself a last farewell.
“I’ve been at Santa Anita because I was asked to – I would usually spend my winters in Dubai.
“I will do the European programme and then Ascot should be my last one in England (British Champions Day) and then possibly the Breeders’ Cup will be my last (meeting), or a Melbourne Cup or something else will materialise, but basically this year is my last. I will be 53 in December and I will finish at the top.
“It’s very hard to choose the right moment. My heart wants to carry on , but I want to have another life after this.”
What that constitutes appears to be more than a little fluid or simply unknown.
For now, he states: “I will keep my eye on working in the media side, in racing obviously.
“That is the road I am thinking of taking, possibly doing other things, buying a few horses, being a bloodstock agent, something like that. At the end of the season, I’ll have a couple of months to sit back and look at the whole picture.”
The irony is that in this land of sand and dust, Dettori’s plans for a future after race-riding are not set in concrete. Father Time is knocking, yet what if a special horse should emerge?
America has served him well. A Kentucky Derby is still missing form the Dettori CV.
There will be a temptation for an encore. For now, he will just keep saying all the right things.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/5f07c625-593d-438f-b16e-5898d8eb3dd2-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-23 14:14:552023-02-23 14:14:55Frankie relaxed as farewell tour goes up a significant notch
Charlie Johnston is used to injuries. A red baseball cap helped shield his bruised and cut left eyebrow as he watched Subjectivist stretch his legs ahead of sunrise at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Wednesday.
His own injury was sustained by the rigours of playing for rugby for Wensleydale. He suffered similar scarring last year. “One day, I’ll learn,” quipped the 32-year-old.
There is no hiding for Subjectivist, however. The injury sustained by this glorious stayer was far more extreme.
He will make his comeback in Saturday’s Group Three Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap, having been off the track since cantering all over his rivals in the 2021 Ascot Gold Cup.
The son of Teofilo will take on 12 rivals, including the John and Thady Gosden-trained Ebor winner Trawlerman, Ian Williams’ Meydan handicap hero Enemy, Karl Burke’s Prix Chaudenay scorer Al Qareem and Nate The Great from the Andrew Balding yard in the one-mile-seven-furlong contest.
Johnston’s relief that the yard’s latest superstar looked plenty fit enough for his return was palpable.
“It has been a very long road, 20 months since this horse saw the racecourse,” said Johnston.
“It has been a long journey for the team and one where we’ve trodden on egg-shells for the most of it.
“So, to see him back in this kind of environment is fantastic.”
He added: “Horses like him don’t come around very often. It was getting to that point where you don’t really care about the opposition.”
Subjectivist had excelled in the Middle East when winning the Dubai Gold Cup en route to his Ascot victory, yet misfortune befell him after beating the likes of Princess Zoe, Spanish Mission and Stradivarius at Ascot.
“About two weeks after the Ascot Gold Cup, he had an injury to his superficial flexor tendon – an injury which can be career-ending, basically – and to get horses back is no given,” added Johnston.
“We had the best stayer in the world and it was just a case of getting him on his ‘A game’.
“We left Ascot with Goodwood, Ascot, France, Dubai, Saudi (in mind) – you were just picking the races you wanted to win.
“To have that and to lose it was a huge blow to the yard. We are just hoping we can have him back to somewhere near his former glory.”
Nine months on a water-walker, a summer in the field and brought along slowly since he returned to work in September, including a pleasing piece of work at Newcastle two weeks ago, have primed Subjectivist for his first start in 618 days.
After flexing his muscles on the turf, Johnston hopes he can answer the $2.5million question under Joe Fanning, who himself has had to overcome a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Subjectivist was an impressive Ascot winner in 2021 (David Davies/PA)
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we were ready,” Johnston added. “But at the same time any prep is difficult, but in particular in a situation when when you come back from such a serious injury.
“We took him to Newcastle and that was a pretty serious workout. That was the key point, to feel he was in shape to be ready to come here.
“What he did here today was to see him stretch his legs, see that he is fit and well and that he has taken the journey OK.
“The hard work has been done at home and now it is a case of keeping him wrapped up until Saturday.
“It is very much one day at a time with this horse. Every morning he canters up the gallop, he goes into his box and we check that his leg is still OK.
“I’ve barely allowed myself to think about Saturday, never mind think beyond Saturday.”
Charlie Johnston in Riyadh on Wednesday (Simon Milham/PA)
The yard have a rich history with stayers such as Double Trigger and Royal Rebel, yet Subjectivist could quickly help the young handler emerge from the long shadow of his father, Mark, having recently taken over the licence.
“The only horses that he has mentioned in the same breath as Subjectivist are Attraction and Shamardal, because they are the three horses where we don’t care about the opposition,” said the trainer.
“These horses were just better than anything else and it was just a case of getting them there on their A-game.
“This horse has suffered a serious injury and it is a serious ask to get him back to that level. We have done everything we can and we will find out on Saturday.
Joe Fanning will be aboard Subjectivist again on Saturday (Steven Paston/PA)
“He has worked a mile and a half round Newcastle. We haven’t worked him over the distance he’s going to run over, we haven’t put him into the red zone and we wouldn’t do that for any horse, but in particular a horse like this coming back from injury.
“Yet any of those three last runs in France, Dubai or Ascot is way ahead of what anything else in the field has achieved and it is just a case of how close to that level can we get a horse back after a tendon injury. It is a big ask, but we have done everything we can.
“We have had a runner in this race in all four renewals, so we are well used to it now. The ground tends to be quick.
“Again, that is a variable that doesn’t matter to us with this horse. He won in a swamp in France and on very quick ground out in Dubai. It is a beautiful track. It is fairly tight on the turf track but again, that should suit a horse like him – he’s not a slow horse by any stretch.
“Everything should suit him, really.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cfbbff45-3341-41f2-a2d1-dcba320c41a2-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-22 15:25:582023-02-22 18:45:10Subjectivist ready for high-profile Saudi Cup card return
Songline will spearhead a strong Japanese challenge at the Saudi Cup meeting this weekend, with jockey Christophe Lemaire confident she can retain her 1351 Turf Sprint title.
Trained by Toru Hayashi, she won the Group Three seven-furlong contest last year, part of a fantastic four-timer for the French-born rider, who is a multiple champion in Japan.
Songline will take on 10 rivals on Saturday, including the Richard Hannon-trained Happy Romance and the Charlie Hills pair of Pogo and Garrus.
Yet after partnering the five-year-old in morning work at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Wednesday morning, Lemaire says it will take a good one to beat her.
“I rode her this morning and she looks in great condition, “ he said.
“I am very happy with her and so is her trainer. She will be the one to beat again this year, I think.”
The daughter of Kizuna went on to win the Grade One Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo in June, but has not run since disappointing in a Grade Two in September.
Lemaire thinks she can return to her true form and added: “Songline has shown some good form and some bad since winning here last year.
“Coming back from Saudi, she produced some very good results. In the autumn she had an issue and could not perform well. It looks like she is all fine from what I have seen and I hope she will race as well as last year.”
Though a four-time winner at last year’s meeting, Lemaire has just two booked rides this time, with Geoglyph his big-race mount in the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Lemaire feels Geoglyph will handle the dirt on Saturday (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Geoglyph took the scalp of stablemate and subsequent dual Grade One winner Equinox at Nakayama last April and while he takes on the might of Country Grammer and Emblem Road in the feature, Lemaire feels he will hold a major chance if he takes to a dirt surface, which he faces for the first time.
“He has a lot of potential. It is hard to predict how he will react on this new surface, but in terms of quality, he has a good chance,” said the rider.
“I have not ridden him on dirt yet and will not until Saturday. I give all my trust to the trainer and the staff.
“He is by Drefong, an American horse, so we expect him to run good and to adapt to the surface.
“It is always a big change for the horses. He is a Grade One winner in Japan and he beat Equinox, which is the new superstar in Japan, so it shows how good Geoglyph is and if he likes the ground, the surface, I think he will cause a big surprise.”
Sixth in the Hong Kong Cup on his last start in December, Geoglyph did not get a clear run under William Buick, yet Lemaire feels the experience of travelling will stand him in good stead.
He added: “He travelled to Hong Kong, so it is always a good experience for horses to travel. It will be his second travel in a couple of months, but he is an easy horse and can adapt.
“In Hong Kong he was a bit unlucky in the race and he did not show his best, but hopefully on Saturday he will show people what he is able to do.”
Songline looks in great shape ahead of her 1351 Turf Sprint engagement (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)
Lemaire feels there will be no excuses for either the American or Japanese horses in the big race, despite modifications to the dirt track.
“I agree that this is the best dirt track in the world,” added Lemaire.
“There was a little change between the first edition of the Saudi Cup three years ago.
“It looks like the ground is now a little bit deeper than it was before, but the quality of the sand is still good. It is a little bit different.
“It looks a little bit tougher for the horses to finish quick. The Saudi Cup winner came from behind last year. I think it looks like more of a front-runners’ track now.
“It is a little between the very quick American dirt and the deeper dirt track in Japan for example. We are somewhere in the middle. Both American horses and Japanese horses can adapt to this track.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2d73c583-b19d-4b31-a0c7-691751da3059-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-22 13:28:222023-02-22 13:28:22Lemaire confident Songline can defend Sprint crown
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 (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 (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.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/76b886d6-af2b-4a17-ae92-f6ee090e3836-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-02-22 10:21:132023-02-22 10:21:13Boughey eyeing Saudi riches with Missed The Cut
