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| Sumita Pawar |
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After residing in Britain since 2004, Pat Cosgrave has relocated from the UK to pursue his riding career in Saudi Arabia.
A golden Touch: Cosgrave's Winning Streak Across The Globe
In 2021, Cosgrave rode aboard Gifts of Gold and won the Saudi Cup night Red Sea Turf Handicap, earning USD$2.5m. He has also won numerous Group One races in the UK, Germany, and Australia. In 2003, he was crowned Irish champion apprentice. The 41YO jockey will continue to be employed by Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz, the owner of the 2022 Saudi Cup winner. Cosgrave's first ride of the Ta'if season will be on Thursday, riding Mutantather.
On the decision, Cosgrave, who has ridden 16 winners in the UK in 2023, said, “I’d only been back from Dubai (back in March) for a couple of weeks and was approached by Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz’s team about the opportunity. I knew how successful their operation was over there, particularly given they won The Saudi Cup back in 2022 with Emblem Road, but it was a tricky time to make a decision as racing was just getting going again in the UK. I thought about it for a little while and decided it was a good thing to do. The racing, as well as other sports in Saudi, seem to be getting bigger and better every year and it’s an exciting time to be getting involved.”
“I have been going along okay in the UK,” said Cosgrave. “There were a couple of silly incidents that put me on the sidelines for a bit, but overall I was doing well, winning some decent handicaps and operating at a good strike rate. I was riding winners for the likes of George Boughey, Richard Hughes, George Baker, and Jim Boyle, so things were going okay, and they were looking after me well, but it feels like the racing in Saudi is really progressing and I think it’s a great opportunity to take.”
Although Cosgrave has won one of Saudi Arabia's largest races, he has not yet ridden in Ta'if, the country's track that is utilized during the hotter months because of its high altitude.
“I arrived at Ta’if for the first time on Tuesday and was then out on the track riding work on six horses this morning (Wednesday),” said Cosgrave.
Cosgrave will have his first ride on Mutantather, a 3YO son of Hawkbill trained by Hisham Abdulwahed.
“It’s a very different environment but I feel like I can adapt to it pretty quickly. I’ve ridden plenty of unusual and undulating tracks in the UK, which are more difficult to ride than somewhere like Ta’if which is a pretty flat oval-shaped track, so it should be fine. I’ve also ridden plenty of winners on the dirt in Dubai, so I’m confident I can take well to riding in Ta’if.”