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| Rowan Anderson |
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Second chances are very hard to come by.
When 4YO colt Sisfahan lines up in the Group 3 Red Sea Turf Cup Handicap on Saudi Cup Day in February it will be a prime example.
An injury suffered during training put a stop to him lining up in the feature last year, but Henk Grewe will now prepare his 2021 German Derby winner ready for this start.
The injury ruled him out for most of the following year, but he returned in the G1 Preis von Europa (2400m) in September and built upon that to win the G2 Gran Premio Jockey Club (2400m) at San Siro a month later.
Running in the colours of Darius Racing and Michael Motschmann this race has been on the minds of the team for the son of Isfahan and Kendalee for most of the past year.
Darius Racing’s racing manager, Holger Faust, spoke on the plans for the 3000m race in hopes of them coming to fruition.
“It was the plan to run him there last year, but he got injured, so it was disappointing to miss the race,” he said.
“We didn’t really have a race for him, but we decided to bring him back in a Group 1 because it was on his home track. He finished last in that race, but we were all fine with that and with his performance.
“We were quite confident for the race in Italy. He won that race and it was brilliant to see him coming back like this.”
“We’ve been thinking about it all year and I’m glad he’s come back at the right time this year, so he’s ready for this race.”
Faust believes that the race which will be his first attempt at 3000m will suit the colt off the back of performances at shorter distances.
“To me he is a classical 2400m horse, but I don’t think he minds further. When you see him winning his races, he wins with a lot of stamina.
“Also, when jockeys ride him, they say he’s hard to stop after his races, so he’s got this attitude and he looks like a real stayer.”
Faust also explained that the decision to race at The Saudi Cup meeting was made as its placement in the racing calendar fits Sisfahan’s schedule.
“The races in the spring in Germany, they are not really attractive for a Group 1 winner. Even though the Red Sea Turf is a Group 3 race, it has a high value and it makes sense to run a Group 1 horse in those kind of races,” he said.
“When you have a horse of that class, the horse gives everything – it doesn’t matter if he runs for €50,000 or for €2 million – the horse gives his best, so we thought it would be better to run in this race.
“With German races not being very attractive in spring, we thought this way we can give him a pause and then bring him back to European races when the Grand Prix season starts, which in Germany is at the end of July.
“The Saudi Cup meeting perfectly suits him now, being at the end of February, and if he performs in Saudi Arabia, it’s possible for him to run on the big day in Dubai as well. Then if everything works out and the horse is sound, he gets a nice break before we see him again.”
No runs are planned before February, with the Red Sea Turf expected to be Sisfahan’s next race.
Sisfahan is well travelled having run at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar in 2021, and Faust doesn’t expect him to be troubled by the travel.
“He’s completely uncomplicated. He’s a very calm horse, he travels well. He has a lovely character. Even when he got injured and had to stay a while in his box, there was never a problem.”
If he does take his place in the field, he will become the first German-trained runner in the Red Sea Turf Cup Handicap, which carries a prize fund of $2.5 million and will be run on the same card as the world’s most valuable race, the $20 million Saudi Cup.
By Rowan Anderson