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| Rowan Anderson |
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When Cigar won the first running of the Dubai World Cup in 1996 it announced trainer William Mott as one to watch on an international scale, having already taken many victories in his native United States.
Since then, he has taken the spoils in 12 Breeders’ Cups along with plenty of other career highlights.
That was the first major international flat race in the Middle East and Mott returns to the region with a pair of strong hopes in this year’s Saudi Cup meet.
Fresh off a victory with Saudi Cup alumnus Art Collector in last month’s Pegasus World Cup, the master trainer seeks more big race glory with Juddmonte’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power (USA) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable’s Casa Creed (USA) – leading chances in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Sports Boulevard and the 1351 Turf Sprint presented by stc respectively.
Mott’s right-hand man accompanying his international travellers over the past few years has been assistant trainer and exercise rider Neil Poznansky, who was aboard for the final serious workouts on Tuesday morning at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Having arrived on Friday with a couple of days on the track to acclimate, the pair appeared comfortable in their 600m blowout breezes down the stretch.
"Elite Power seemed to handle it really well," Poznansky said.
"He’s training exceptionally well. Elite Power wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think he could win. He seemed to like the track in the breeze - I got him in about 38 (seconds) - so hopefully that transfers into his race.
"He is a big, strong animal who just loves running. He can be pretty active in his training, where Casa Creed is an old professional, but both were perfect today and both did all their prep work well back at Payson Park in Florida."
Three-time Grade 1 winner Casa Creed completed his maintenance work under Poznansky with precision.
A seven-time winner from 29 starts, who finished second in the 1351 Turf Sprint last year, the son of Jimmy Creed followed up his Riyadh run with a close fifth in Dubai’s Al Quoz Sprint before winning Belmont’s Jaipur Stakes over 1200m and Saratoga’s Fourstardave over 1600m.
"We can take him anywhere," Poznansky said.
"He’s really a neat horse to be around. The last couple of days he’s just doing his thing and going around there and I think he recognises the place. He’s a seven-year-old, but he’s training as good – if not better – than ever.
"I think Luis [Saez, jockey] knows him a lot better this time, as it was his first time on him last year. I think the unique distance here hits him right between the eyes and is in his favour. The horses are unraced since the Breeders’ Cup but they’re both doing great and Casa Creed, especially, seems to really enjoy running fresh."
"Bill reads the horse really well and just has a feeling of what to do with them," Poznansky explained.
"He knows when he needs to back off and when to press on. He’s very hands-on about everything.
“He’s really amazing at what he does."