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Ahead of the Saudi Cup Raceday, Ten Furlongs spoke with the man known as a world-famous trainer about his ambitions for the iconic US$20m Saudi Cup
From winning Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, King George, the Eclipse, there is a deliberate spirit of attraction towards iconic global races. It’s this fierce aspiration to win the world’s greatest races that sees him hop from the Classics in Europe to another equally trailblazing race day in Riyadh where we will see Clarehaven Stables’ stars Mishriff and Global Giant attempt the US$20m headline race for the evening and the Saudi Derby.
In his inimitable style, Gosden says, “We have three possible runners getting ready to board the21hour journey to Riyadh.” Despite gruelling cold weather over the past few weeks, Gosden has prepared three horses for two iconic international race days in the Middle East.
Mishriff worked nicely in Chelmsford last week. He has trained well and is looking well. David Egan will be riding him in Saudi Cup.”
French Gr. 1 winner Mishriff (IRE) was runner up in the 2020 Saudi Derby. The son of Make Believe needs a wide draw in the Feb. 20, $20-million Saudi Cup according to trainer John Gosden. The 4YO colt who races in the colours of Prince Faisal was a little-known winner of a Nottingham maiden when he lined up in the first running of the Saudi Derby, in which the colt’s subsequent second place proved the springboard to a Classic-winning campaign in which he won the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) two starts later followed by the Gr.2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.
He was an eighth of ten on his final start in the Gr.1 Champion Stakes, run on very heavy ground at Ascot.
“Ascot was unfortunate for the ground,” Gosden said in an earlier interview, “I strongly feel they should have switched to the inner turf, which was riding the easy side of good to soft. It would have been fabulous racing. All of ours got stuck in the bog we had there.”
He added: “He’s had nice downtime building up to this. He is not a horse that requires a massive amount of work.”
“He showed good form in the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club, which was his best race and we hope he will show the same form in the Saudi Cup. The distance is his minimum,” Gosden explains from his home at Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket.
“We also have Global Giant, who was second in the Bahrain International Trophy. He handles the track well and he will be ridden by Lanfranco Dettori once again in Riyadh.”
Owned by Isa Salman Al Khalifa, the son of Shamardal was primarily purchased with the Bahrain International Trophy in mind out of Ed Dunlop’s yard.
“He is very consistent. He has been training well up to the race.”
Another charge heading to Riyadh is the 3Yo colt New Treasure.
“He is planned to run in Saudi Derby. He will be ridden by Lanfranco Dettori as well.”
The son of New Approach is homebred for renowned breeder Jim Bolger.
“He is a Gr.3 winner in Ireland and has been training nicely.”
Gosden’s Prince of Wale’s Stakes’ winner, Lord North has been hard at work for the Dubai World Cup race night. The son of Dubawi is an Irish-bred, British-trained gelding who is expected to contest the 2021 Gr.1 Dubai Turf under Lanfranco Dettori.
“Lord North has accepted his Dubai World Cup invite and has been training at Newmarket for the Dubai Turf. He will be going directly to Dubai.”
“While Mishriff will return from Saudi and depending on how he’s doing go to Dubai for World Cup night.”
Gosden is no stranger to the Dubai World Cup and racing at Meydan having raced and won almost a decade ago with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's British-bred Dar Re Mi.
“My most memorable World Cup night was when Dar Re Mi won under William Buick in the first-ever Sheema Classic at Meydan.”
The 5YO mare outlasted Buena Vista and Spanish Moon to capture the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic after a third-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
"This is right up there with winning the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and for me, the English Derby (Eng-I)," winning trainer John Gosden said immediately after the race. "But to be here on opening night, it was incredible."
A passionate patron of the arts, Gosden is no stranger to philosophy. His inspiration for a life of racing is no different.
“The Thoroughbred is a beautiful animal, and even in a modern world, horses are close to our hearts and have been a part of our culture for thousands of years.”
“What inspires one is merely having young horses entrusted to you to bring them up to their fullest potential.”
“You always feel this might be the one.”