Aero Trem (BRZ) – Trainer Antonio Cintra and assistant Julio Olascoaga attentively watched Aero Trem make his way around the dirt track on Friday morning.
Leading his younger counterpart Perfect Love, the battle-hardened Gran Premio Latinoamericano winner was well controlled by jockey Vagner Leal.
“Aero Trem acclimated very well. He’s fit, happy. We just did a slow canter because he came over here ready. We are now just waiting for the race,” Cintra said.
“I am more anxious than nervous, excited. I prefer that the race should be in a couple of minutes not in one day!”
When asked about the game plan, assistant Olascoaga offered his opinion: “He won Group 1’s drawing 1 and drawing 13, it doesn’t matter, he’s a very versatile horse. Vagner will sit wherever he finds the best place, he will put him anywhere and will be fine.”
Art Collector (USA) – Was light on his feet when going around the dirt track with Bill Mott’s assistant trainer Neil Poznansky in the saddle.
“He was more settled today, he has been aggressive in training but he’s more settled now,” Poznansky said.
“I was more nervous before the gallop this morning – I didn’t want him to do too much. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Country Grammer (USA) – WinStar Farm and Amr Zedan’s Country Grammer had a routine gallop under very little pressure during the 7am training session on Friday morning.
A Grade 1 winner over 2000m, he will cut back to 1800m when seeking his fourth lifetime victory. Trainer Bob Baffert’s assistant, Jimmy Barnes, was on hand for the exercise.
“He’s doing very well right now and seems fit,” Barnes said. “We’re happy with him and how he gets over the track.”
Magny Cours (USA) – Magny Cours did all of his main work at home in Chantilly and on Friday morning he went for his usual steady canter around the dirt track.
Richard Lambert, travelling head lad for French trainer Andre Fabre, said: “He did exactly what he did yesterday. Nothing has changed, he is in good form. He eats well, is happy and there is nothing more to say. We are waiting for tomorrow.”
Mandaloun (USA) – Juddmonte homebred Mandaloun is one of the headline competitors and he has been touting himself accordingly during morning workouts.
Brad Cox’s assistant trainer Dustin Dugas was grinning from ear to ear when heading back to the stables on top of multiple Grade 1 winner Mandaloun.
“He’s always been an aggressive horse in the morning, but today he just wanted to do more! He was so so strong,” Dugas said.
Marche Lorraine (JPN) – Trainer Yoshito Yahagi supervised last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff victor working at the training track.
“She was walking and trotting around the track and then cantered for three laps with jockey Ryusei Sakai on board,” Yahagi said. “I think I have done all she needs before the big day. I definitely think she is progressing her condition towards the day and she is very fit now.”
Midnight Bourbon (USA) – Travers Stakes runner up Midnight Bourbon looked robust during his final exercise session this morning on the dirt track
Assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, Scott Blasi, watched on from the rail.
“We are as ready as we’re going to get. Horse looks well, shipped well. He’s in fantastic shape. We just need to run our race now,” Blasi said.
When asked about the mental and physical changes as a now four-year-old entire, Blasi responded:
“He’s matured a lot. The horse had never been around people. He was always fine. When we went from Fairgrounds where there were no people to Churchill Downs where they started allowing fans back in and having a noisy loudspeaker system, he had never seen anything like that.
“He is basically a Covid baby, in his two and three-year-old years there were basically no fans. When they started letting people back in, it was a bit of an adjustment for him. We did a lot of schooling with him throughout the year.
“The Travers, Preakness, once you get through the big days like that, they seem to adapt. Hopefully he’ll behave himself over here. He’s been great so far. He has definitely matured. We always thought he was going to get better as a four-year-old. We just hope he continues to make that step forward.”
Mishriff (IRE) – Had jockey David Egan aboard on the dirt track this morning as he took a final spin ahead of defending his Saudi Cup crown.
Thady Gosden, having watched the exercise alongside his father John, who arrived in Riyadh on Friday morning, said: “That was a nice and relaxed canter today, having done a stronger canter yesterday, but this was just an easy one the day before the race. He just seems to love travelling this horse, and he remains happy and relaxed.”
John Gosden added of tomorrow’s challenge: “It’s a race which looks to have a lot of depth, a really fabulous race actually, a proper international Group 1.”
Real World (IRE) – Saeed bin Suroor expressed his delighted at how his horses had shipped to Saudi Arabia once again on Friday morning as he looked forward to saddling Real World.
“There is no excuse, Frankie [Dettori], he knows the horse well,” Bin Suroor said. “The horse has improved physically and mentally he is much better. When we used to take him to the races he used to sweat up badly but he is much more relaxed now and over time he has really learned much more. I hope he can handle the dirt and I think this is his best distance.”
Sealiway (FR) – The Chehboub family-owned Sealiway had a steady canter on the dirt track and his trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: “This morning he just did a routine canter. He was very relaxed and moved well. It was good that he worked yesterday as it took the edge off his freshness. He is spot on for tomorrow.”
Secret Ambition (GB) – Friday morning was an easy one for Naser Askar’s Bhupat Seemar-trained contender. The nine-year-old entire son of Exceed And Excel had an easy gallop of the dirt track at 8am, breaking into stride at the 1400m pole and finishing up around the same, completing its 2000m circumference.
Askar was on hand for the routine action one day out from contesting the world’s richest race. One of Dubai’s top owners, the Libyan native was sixth last year with Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained Military Law. Veteran jockey Adrie de Vries will substitute for Tadhg O’Shea, who was unable to fly for his Riyadh assignments after a positive Covid-19 test.
“He was good today,” Askar said, partly in English and partly through an Arabic translator. “He is a very good horse and very fast. He won the Godolphin Mile but he needs a good break – very bad gate horse. Adrie has not ridden him but he is a very good jockey. Inshallah he (will) run big.”
Multiple Group 1-winning rider De Vries knows how to get it done on the big day, having guided Port Lions to success at the 2020 meeting and is pleased to have landed the mount.
“It’s very unfortunate for Tadhg but I’m very thankful that they have the confidence in me to ask me to ride,” De Vries said. “I know Secret Ambition very well and I know he’s a little bit tricky in the gate and likes to go forward. I’ve seen him many times and ridden against him many times, but it’s obviously the first time I’ll sit on him. I do know he’s a quality horse.”