$US 2,500,000 The Red Sea Turf Handicap
Call The Wind (GB) – Sebastien Lagrange, who travelled with the horse from France, said: “The horse is well. This morning he trotted in the quarantine yard. Tomorrow we will come onto the track.”
Gifts Of Gold (IRE) – Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor-trained Gifts Of Gold had an easy hack around the Al Quoz training centre 1800m all-weather oval in Dubai on Tuesday morning and will head to Saudi Arabia with the rest of his team on Wednesday, including three from the Bin Suroor yard.
A three-time winner from 12 starts, the son of Invincible Spirit appears to be on a fact-finding mission when he stretches out to the 3000m distance. His last run was over 1600m on dirt, finishing last of 11 in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 behind Military Law.
“The horse is doing well since he ran last and it seems he needs the trip,” Bin Suroor said. “He has a chance in this race. He’s a good horse and is working well here. We’re hoping for a big run from him.”
Mildenberger (GB) – Mark Johnston’s contender was out for light work on the training track under the supervision of the trainer’s representative Robyn Fleming.
“He just had a jog, everything has gone well. He might go out and do something tomorrow, depending on what Mark thinks,” Fleming said.
Mirinaque (ARG) – The Argentinian-bred horse galloped 3000m on the turf track with jockey Gustavo Emiliano Calvente in the irons. The 5-year-old son of Hurricane Cat was adorned in a blanket bearing the flag of Argentina as he went about his business.
“We’re very proud (to represent Argentina),” said trainer Maria Munoz through Miguel Angel Silva, the trainer of Sleepy Eyes Todd who served as translator. “He’s been perfect since arriving. He feels like it’s home.”
A Group 1-placed horse in his native country, he has a Grade 2 runner-up finish in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (formerly the Marathon) at Keeneland over Breeders’ Cup weekend but did not perform well in his two subsequent starts.
Munoz is more confident heading into Saturday’s race because, as she said through Silva: “I brought my whole team from Argentina.”
Mirinaque will gallop again on Wednesday and might do something a little faster on Thursday.
New Show (IRE) – Trainer Fawzi Nass said: “New Show has been switched from the Friday race to the Red Sea Turf Handicap on Saturday as a space opened up and I have always been keen to run him over 3000m. That decision was made last night. I wanted to split my horses rather than have them in the same race.”
Red Verdon (USA) – Trained in Newmarket by Ed Dunlop, the 8-year-old is in Saudi Arabia with Burns Hutchison, who took the chestnut gelding for a canter over 1200m on the dirt track on Tuesday morning.
“He loved it out there,” Hutchison said. “This was the first day we were allowed out of quarantine so I took him on the main track instead of the training track. When I walked on it the other day it looked beautiful and that’s how it rode. I just gave him an easy canter. He loves coming away and is a better horse away than he is at home. He moved really well. He’s supposed to be going on the grass on Thursday morning with Hollie Doyle riding him. He’s a star when he comes away.”
Secret Advisor (FR) – Charlie Appleby’s 7-year-old will arrive from Dubai on Wednesday.
Appleby said: “Secret Advisor has been here in Dubai all winter and has been training well. He went to Meydan last week for a racecourse gallop with [stc 1351 Turf Sprint runner] Space Blues and I was pleased with how they have come out of it. Hopefully it will put them spot on for the weekend.”
Spanish Mission (USA) – Last year’s Doncaster Cup winner was an early visitor for exercise on the training track.
“He just cantered, he seems good,” said Andrew Balding’s wife and assistant trainer Anna Lisa. “With his old trainer, David Simcock, he went to America and Dubai so he’s very used to the travelling.”
$US 1,000,000 The Neom Turf Cup
Channel Maker (CAN) – The 2020 Eclipse Award Champion Turf Horse in North America went a lively 600m on the dirt track in company with stable companion Tacitus. Umberto Gomez was aboard the son of English Channel.
“I was really impressed with his work,” said Neil Poznansky, assistant to trainer Bill Mott. Poznansky was aboard Tacitus and had a bird’s eye view of the drill.
Poznansky noted that like Tacitus, Channel Maker will walk tomorrow and be back on the track Thursday morning.
For The Top (ARG) – Argentine Group 1 winner For The Top, who is based in the UAE yard of Salem bin Ghadayer, will try to go two better in this year’s race. After setting the pace in the inaugural edition under Mickael Barzalona, the son of Equal Stripes begrudgingly gave way to finish third, beaten three-quarters of a length.
Given time off since that run, he returned with just one race since, finishing seventh behind 2019 Queen Anne Stakes winner Lord Glitters in the Group 2 Singspiel in late January. Last year, he was second in the same race to another Royal Ascot winner, Benbatl, before his admirable Saudi Arabian effort.
“He’ll be in very good shape for this Saturday,” Bin Ghadayer said. “I’m sure he’s going to run a big race. He didn’t run well at Meydan, but he wasn’t 100 per cent fit for that race.”
Saltonstall (GB) – The Irish contender arrived on Monday evening along with Harry’s Bar, who contests the Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Trainer Adrian McGuinness said: “They travelled over very well and we were very happy. They’ve settled in well and had their trot-up this morning; they’ve had a nice wash down and are in good form.
“We’ll give them a bit of exercise this evening and then tomorrow, but we’re very happy with everything so far.”
Tilsit (USA) – A Group 3 winner over 1600m, the 4-year-old will be stepping up in trip on Saturday and had his first test of the turf track on Tuesday in a steady canter with work rider Henry Morshead.
Representing Tilsit’s trainer Charlie Hills, Morshead said of the Juddmonte-bred colt: “He was really happy. We just went steady today to have a look at the track but it was great to get on the grass. He was moving well and took it all in his stride.
“He can be colty and a bit quirky at home but we were really happy today. He must have grown up a lot over the winter as he was nicely relaxed. He’s only had the four runs, and only twice on grass. We only went steady today but we might go a stride quicker on Thursday and hopefully get him straight for Saturday.”
$US 2,000,000 The Obaiya Arabian Classic
Mashur Al Khalediah (FR) – The purebred Arabian exercised on the training track.
“He arrived here on Sunday morning, about 3am,” trainer Phil Collington said. “The flight was good and he travelled well and was very settled. On Monday he just walked, and today he’s been out on to the training track.
“He trotted a lap and then cantered two laps, and felt very well. Tomorrow he will go back to the training track for a canter before going to the main track for a breeze. Thursday and Friday he’ll just canter.”
$US 1,500,000 The Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby
Albadri (IRE) – The 3-year-old colt cantered round the dirt track.
“Albadri arrived here early on Sunday morning,” trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam said.
“He travelled really well; he lost 5kg, so I’m very pleased with that, and he’s eating and drinking as normal. He went for his first canter this morning out on the track and was a little bit fresh, so that was good to see, but it was just a steady canter.
“Tomorrow we will do a normal canter leading him to the race. Nikita (Milczarek, work rider) was very pleased; she said he felt good underfoot.”
Cowan (USA) – The Steve Asmussen trainee had a scheduled walking day on Tuesday.
“His training has (gone) smoothly,” Asmussen texted from America regarding the son of Kantharos. “Anxiously awaiting the post position draw.”
The 3-year-old colt has strung together a series of four consecutive second-place finishes, most recently taking the runner-up spot in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park over a two-turn 1600m.
Homeryan (USA) – Francis-Henri Graffard’s representative was a recent winner over 1600m at Chantilly.
His work rider Gabriel Planchard said: “I took him onto the quarantine track where he trotted. He will discover the track tomorrow.”
Pink Kamehameha (JPN) – Had an easy canter on the dirt track with trainer Hideyuki Mori supervising.
“Pink Kamehameha is a very easy horse to handle,” the trainer said. “He is in good form and all has gone well so far at the moment. Jockey Nanako Fujita will gallop him tomorrow.”
New Treasure (IRE) – Will be the second runner for British champion trainer John Gosden in the race.
The colt by Epsom Derby winner New Approach was bred in Ireland by that horse’s trainer Jim Bolger, who trained him last season to win the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes on his second start. In October he was bought by Saudi Arabia-based Nads Stud and moved to Gosden’s Newmarket stable.
New Treasure, who travelled to Saudi Arabia with his stable-mates and Saudi Cup runners Mishriff and Global Giant, had a trot on Monday, having arrived in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Representing his father in Riyadh, assistant trainer Thady Gosden said: “He’s an interesting horse who has been doing well at home and hopefully he will run well. He just went to the training track as a nice introduction today on his first day cantering back. He will be out on the main track tomorrow. They all just had a sensible canter round and they will probably do the same every day now they are here.”
Rebel’s Romance (IRE) – Charlie Appleby’s contender is unbeaten in three starts, including the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial at Meydan last month.
Speaking from Dubai, Appleby said: “The horses are flying from Dubai tomorrow morning. Rebel’s Romance has already had a run and has been here all winter. He’s very much learning on the job but you can’t fault him.
“The penny is dropping at the right end of the race. He’s three from three and had two starts on the synthetics (in the UK) at Kempton and Newcastle, then he came over here and put in a nice performance in the Guineas Trial.
“He learned plenty, getting the kickback and a feel of the surface as well as the style of dirt racing. He overcame the greenness through that and managed to win still, so that was very pleasing. He’s definitely come forward again since then so, for me, he’s a live contender in the Derby.”
$US 1,500,000 Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint
Copano Kicking (USA) – The multiple big-race race winner in Japan concluded his preparation with a solid half-gallop over 600m on the dirt track.
“I have changed my plan this morning and breezed him this morning. He keeps his good form. He won’t do too much over the week as he did all he needed before we brought him here,” trainer Akira Murayama said.
Justin (JPN) – Stretched out his legs on the training track before he covered almost 3000m on the dirt track under jockey Ryusei Sakai.
“He was initially edgy when he came on the dirt track because this was an unfamiliar place for him, but he was getting settled in and cantered nicely,” said the assistant to trainer Yoshito Yahagi, Takahide Ando.
Matera Sky (USA) – Had an easy canter on the dirt track, with trainer Hideyuki Mori supervising. “Matera Sky is a proven shipper and has lots of experiences of travelling abroad, so there are no worries about him,” Mori said.