Two former Mike de Kock gallopers are amongst the over 700 entries, including 71 Gr1 winners, from 22 countries received this week for the two day Saudi Cup meeting on 25 and 26 February,
Recent Saudi winner Janoobi (Silvano) joins former stablemate Marshall amongst the entries in the support features.
Mishriff in the build up to the 2021 Saudi Cup
A son of Maine Chance kingpin Vercingetorix, Marshall raced in the Al Adiyaat silks for five wins. Now a 5yo, he was unplaced in both the Dingaans and the SA Classic and has not seen action in 18 months.
Winner of the SA Guineas here, Janoobi won the 2018 Zabeel Mile at Meydan for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and had his last race for Mike de Kock in March 2019 in the Gr1 Jebel Hatta, when finishing sixth.
He has had two starts in Saudi, winning his last just over ten days ago.
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The Racing Post reports that Mishriff bids to become the sport’s all-time highest earning racehorse with a second win in the world’s richest race.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old has already won £11,158,059 in prize-money, making him the ninth highest earner on a list headed by Winx on £14,564,743. If he were to retain the Saudi Cup, worth $10m (£7.32m) to the winner, he would go top.
Mishriff is the leading European contender for the Saudi Cup and could be joined by fellow Gr1 winners Sealiway, Skalleti and Pyledriver, second in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin last month.
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Knicks Go is a notable US entry, while Japan could be represented by T O Keynes and Marche Lorraine, who landed the Breeders’ Cup Distaff under Oisin Murphy in November.
The lucrative two-day Saudi Cup meeting, which begins on February 25, has attracted more than 700 entries from 22 different countries, including a number of potential candidates from Britain and Ireland.
Irish St Leger winner Sonnyboyliston, Princess Zoe and Nayef Road could feature in the Group 3 Red Sea Turf Handicap, while Lord North and the evergreen Lord Glitters are among the entries for the Group 3 Neom Turf Cup, won by Hollie Doyle and True Self last season.
The highlight on the opening day of the Saudi Cup meeting is the International Jockeys Challenge, which is set to feature last year’s winner Shane Foley, Hayley Turner and Australian jockey Glen Boss.
“We couldn’t be happier with the entries for the meeting,” said Tom Ryan, director of strategy and international racing at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA).
“Not only do we have a huge number – over 300 more than last year – but the quality is exceptional with 71 individual Gr1 winners and last year’s Saudi Cup winner Mishriff.”
The $20m contest on dirt at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh was granted promotion to Gr1 level by the IFHA (International Federation of Horseracing Authorities) in early October.
