~ Five Countries Represented
~ No U.S. Turf Runners Entered
By Amber Joyce
The $USD2.5M Red Sea Turf Handicap (G3) will be contested at 3000M (1 ⅞ miles) over the King Abdulaziz turf course just before the Saudi Derby. As expected in prestigious turf races, connections from the United Kingdom have shipped over a multitude of candidates. They’ll look to secure the nation’s first victory in the race.
Topping the list of British runners is Charlie Johnston’s Subjectivist (GB), winner of the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) in 2021. The six-year-old son of Teofilo has not started since, having suffered a potentially career-threatening leg injury during the race. John & Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman (IRE) will also give the Red Sea Turf Handicap a try. Last seen in October finishing third in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot, Trawlerman holds a slew of Handicap victories in his 10-race career.
Four-time winner, graded stakes-placed Enemy (GB) enters his Saudi Arabia debut following a quality win in a handicap at Meydan in early January. Ian Williams trains. Karl Burke-trained Al Qareem (IRE) also hails from the U.K. and will look to add a G3 win alongside his win two back in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay (G2) at Longchamp. Most recently, on Oct. 23, Al Qareem was fifth in the Prix Royal-Oak (G1), also contested at the aforementioned French racecourse.
Get Shirty (IRE) has run twice in Dubai this year since a fifth-place effort in the Cumberland Lodge (G3) at Ascot in October. Get Shirty hasn’t won since last summer when he strung together three consecutive handicap wins. David O’Meara trains this gelded son of Teofilo. Andrew Balding’s stakes-winning Nate The Great (GB) returns to the races for the first time since capturing the listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes in September at Newmarket.
Japan, who won this race last year with Yoshito Yahagi’s Stay Foolish, returns this year with a duo of runners. Silver Sonic (JPN), a last-out winner of the Sports Nippon Sho Stayers (G2) in December, makes his first international trip for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee. The other Japanese contender is Hideyuki Mori’s Echt (JPN), a multiple graded stakes-placed son of Rulership.
A treble of Saudi Arabian horses will aim to provide their nation with its first win in the Red Sea Turf Handicap. Hussein Alshoieb’s My Frankel (GB) tops the list. Last year, My Frankel was victorious in two local G1s: the Crown Prince Cup in December and the King Abdulaziz Racetrack Championship Cup in March. A G3 winner in France, Master Gatsby (FR) makes his second Riyadh start for trainer Bader Rezaiq. Last of the trio is Naif Almandeel-trained Pin Your Hopes (IRE), who wasn’t vastly successful in Ireland but has won six in Saudi Arabia.
Watch My Frankel (post position #11) win the Crown Prince Cup:
France, Germany, and Bahrain all send out one runner. Representing France is Big Call (USA), winner of the Prix Gladiateur (G2) in September. Christophe Ferland trains. German-based conditioner Henk Grewe brings over Sisfahan (FR), a G2 winner two-back in Italy. From nearby Bahrain is Encourage (GB) for Fawzi Nass. Bred and formerly owned by The Queen, Encourage is a seven-time winner, including three local graded races, two of those G1s.
Likely fields for the rest of the two-day Saudi Cup racing festival can be accessed here.
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It was recently announced that the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia will partner with Equine MediRecord for this year’s Saudi Cup to ensure equine welfare protocols are followed at the event. This will help all of the trainers at this year’s event more easily keep track of all of their trainee’s needs and care.
For more on Equine MediRecord, visit www.equinemedirecord.com.
