Two Horses, Two Surfaces, One Weekend

The Strategic Chess Game Behind Team Valor's Saudi Campaign

Somewhere between Marseille and Riyadh, between dirt gallops at Meydan and turf work in Chantilly, Jerome Reynier and Barry Irwin are coordinating a campaign that splits their firepower across two Saudi races, with Dubai looming on the horizon. The Marseille-based trainer and the Wellington, Florida-based Team Valor International chief executive are orchestrating the kind of calculated assault on international racing that has become Irwin's calling card during nearly four decades at the helm.

Facteur Cheval, bred by Northern Ireland's McCracken Farms from Jawlaat, a mare from the exceptional extended family of Allegretta whose descendants include Derby winners Galileo, Sea The Stars, and Masar, was purchased from Shadwell Farms' production for 18,000 guineas. By Ribchester and foaled in March 2019, the bay gelding now races for Team Valor International and Gary Barber. His career earnings exceed US$2 million, crowned by March 2024's Dubai Turf triumph when he unleashed a devastating turn of foot under Maxime Guyon to capture the US$6 million prize.

The 6YO gelding's 2025 campaign began with bold experimentation in the Middle East. After finishing third in the Gr.1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan in January on his dirt debut, he travelled to Riyadh for the US$20 million Saudi Cup in February, where he finished seventh of 14 behind Forever Young at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Those dirt performances provided valuable experience, before he returned to his favoured turf for April's Dubai Turf defence on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan, finishing sixth of 11 behind Japanese winner Soul Rush.

Royal Ascot's subsequent Prince of Wales's Stakes left him physically depleted through the summer. His most recent autumn outing saw him finish ninth in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October. Now freshened and reinvigorated in Chantilly, connections are targeting a return to Middle East turf success, keeping him away from the region until one week before battle, banking on his proven ability to fire when fresh.

Lessons From The 2025 Middle East Campaign

"In retrospect, we were not happy with the schedule we used for Facteur Cheval last year, prepping him in Dubai," Barry Irwin acknowledges, reflecting on previous Middle East campaigns. Yet the 2025 approach demonstrated his adaptability. "He trained extremely well on the dirt. His work on the dirt at Meydan was truly exceptional last season, which buoys our hopes in 2026."

That confidence translated into action across three Middle East starts. Facteur Cheval's seventh-place finish in February's US$20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, whilst not matching his Meydan prep, proved the gelding could handle racing's richest stage. His return to turf for April's Dubai Turf defence, finishing sixth behind Soul Rush, confirmed his preference for grass rather than dirt. The experiments provided crucial data for future campaigns.

Reynier believes the unique 1800-metre one-turn configuration suits his charge. "He's got a really good turn of foot," the Marseille-based trainer explains. When Facteur Cheval won the Dubai Turf in 2024, he fought so hard that "after the post he ran on and couldn't stop him." That stamina reserve makes the 2100-metre Neom Turf Cup viable should connections target it this time.

Facteur Cheval will contest the 2100-metre Neom Turf Cup, bypassing the Saudi Cup despite his earlier dirt experiments. The configuration suits his stamina reserves and proven turf ability. Success at King Abdulaziz Racecourse positions him perfectly for defending the Dubai Turf crown in March.

"Once you're in Saudi and travelling with Lazzat, he can probably go to Dubai with Lazzat," Reynier notes, outlining how keeping elite horses sharp across jurisdictions works. The decision represents a strategic retreat from dirt ambitions, focusing instead on the surfaces where the gelding has proven himself at the highest level.

Royal Ascot Hero Targets Riyadh

Lazzat, bred by Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe operation and purchased by Wathnan Racing weeks before Royal Ascot, delivered a performance for the ages in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. The 5YO gelding by Territories engaged in an epic duel with Japan's Satono Reve, prevailing by half a length whilst setting a new course record. The triumph, worth over 500,000 guineas, elevated Lazzat's rating to 120, placing him among the global sprint elite with eight wins from 12 starts.
Reynier's confidence stems from Lazzat's professional attitude. "He's very easy to prep in the morning, and with one racecourse gallop, he'll be spot on."

The 1351-metre Turf Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse presents different challenges to Royal Ascot's straight six furlongs, but Lazzat has won on straight and turning tracks, and handled firm and soft ground. If Breeders' Cup heroine, She's So Spicy, joins, Lazzat's connections welcome the pace. "He likes it with a lot of paces," Reynier notes. "So, if She's So Spicy is coming, we know the race is going to be a fast run, and that could be the ideal kind of pacemaker."

Autumn's campaign taught lessons. After Royal Ascot's intensity, Lazzat struggled to rediscover peak form, finishing fifth at Haydock in September before ninth at Ascot in October. "That race was tiring for the horse," Reynier concedes.

Coordinating Continental Chess Moves

Between Reynier's Calas training centre near Marseille and Irwin's Wellington, Florida base, they coordinate Quid Pro Quo in Dubai with Reynier's partner Coralie preparing the South African bred filly for the Cape Verdi Stakes, whilst Facteur Cheval and Lazzat remain in Calas finalising Saudi preparations. The plan envisions both horses traveling from Riyadh to Dubai, avoiding European returns before flying back east six weeks later.

For Irwin, whose Team Valor International has campaigned 163 stakes winners across 17 countries since 1987, such continental juggling represents standard procedure. The 82-year-old former Blood Horse journalist built his reputation sourcing undervalued talent. His 2011 Kentucky Derby victory with Animal Kingdom, who later claimed the Dubai World Cup, epitomises the approach.

"Like a lot of aspects in horse racing, it is all a matter of trying to use one's best judgment based on experience, as well as trial and error," Irwin reflects. "So, we will keep an eye on our horses, try to assess them in the cold light of day as best as we can." That pragmatism has served him through 40 Group or Grade One victories and 22 international championships.

Reynier, at 40, shares Irwin's international mindset. A Darley Flying Start graduate; the French trainer earned his first Group One in 2021 when Skalleti captured the Prix d'Ispahan. His record shows five Group One victories from 5,489 starts, producing 869 winners at a 16 per cent strike rate. Winners in Qatar, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai demonstrate their global ambition.

Quid Pro Quo's Dubai Assignment

Quid Pro Quo adds complexity to coordination. The South African champion disappointed on her French debut at Deauville but has settled well in Dubai. "She came back in good shape, and she's training really well in Dubai," Reynier reports.

The Cape Verdi Stakes on January 16 provides her first target, with the Balanchine Stakes on February 20 following. Irwin's comparison to Ipi Tombe, Team Valor's 2003 Dubai Duty Free winner, reveals his optimism for the filly representing just 10 per cent of this Saudi-focused narrative yet embodying his philosophy of sourcing undervalued talent globally.

Should both Facteur Cheval and Quid Pro Quo merit Dubai Turf consideration, an internal clash emerges. Irwin dismisses concerns. "Running two in a race of that magnitude would not be the end of the world, believe me."

The Middle East Prize Pool

Irwin's Saudi Cup weekend assessment reveals the region's racing maturity. "In a very short period of time, the Saudi Cup weekend now takes its place right alongside the World Cup meeting in Dubai," he states. The US$20 million Saudi Cup and US$5 million Neom Turf Cup represent serious money, with Dubai Turf's US$6 million purse completing a lucrative regional swing that justifies the logistical complexities of coordinating multiple horses across continents.

Mapping The Road Ahead

Beyond February's Middle East battles, paths diverge. Facteur Cheval either pursues another dirt campaign or returns to turf, depending on Saudi results. Lazzat's roadmap appears clearer: Saudi Arabia's Turf Sprint precedes Dubai's Al Quoz Sprint in March, setting up potential Royal Ascot defence in June.

For Quid Pro Quo, expectations remain modest, but hopes run high. Cape Verdi’s success would validate the South African investment, whilst Balanchine’s victory would elevate her into international contention. "Hopefully she will be competitive and will be able to win some good races back in Europe for sure," Reynier suggests.

Behind these individual narratives sits a broader truth about modern international racing. Owners like Barry Irwin, armed with global knowledge and syndicate capital, compete against sovereign wealth funds by shopping smarter. Trainers like Jerome Reynier, willing to send horses worldwide, maximise their charges' earning potential whilst building international reputations.

Facteur Cheval and Lazzat arrive in Saudi Arabia carrying Team Valor's hopes, Jerome Reynier's reputation, and their own considerable abilities. One will contest the Neom Turf Cup whilst the other tackles the Turf Sprint, both seeking glory in a kingdom investing unprecedented sums, and attracting the world's best. The prizes justify the effort. The stories, win or lose, add another chapter to Barry Irwin's four-decade quest, proving that intelligence, persistence, and global vision can compete with unlimited wealth.