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Saudi Cup 2022

International Horse Racing Picks

International Horse Racing Today – Saudi Cup 2022

Unfortunately, Tom and Rich couldn’t get together for this week Foreign Friday of horse racing fun on YouTube. But we still made our picks for the 2022 Saudi Cup.

22 to 1 Tom’s International Tips

Free 2022 Saudi Cup Past Performances

Saudi Arabia – Riyadh – Saturday, February 26th

Race 1 – Neom Turf Cup

8 – Pyledriver

Good effort at Sha Tin last out, losing by 1L to a very good horse

Won on the AW at Lingfield and did enough

First up, he has 2 wins from 3 starts

Should sit close to the leaders and catch them

Never ran the distance but has face good horses in the UK at the top level

2 – Authority

Last 2 races at Tokyo with a win and a second in big fields

First up, 7 starts 4 wins 1 placing

Has won at 1800m 2000m but not 2100 but has won at longer distance

Group 2 winner 3 times

Should be the favorite, maybe?

6 – Harrovian

Prepped at Lingfield all weather in November but has not won coming into race first up but placed 3 times from 4 starts

Gosden/Dettori has won a few races

Won at Doncaster in open race but no wins in group races

Good enough to run ITM but win?

 

Race 2 – Turf Sprint

1 – Casa Creed

No match for Space Blues in BC race, ran an even race but no move forward

He’s won at distances close to this distance but not at this distance, I don’t see this as an issue

Mott/Saez combo and first ride

Grade 1 winner and also grade 2

Been away for 112 days so first up he’s only won once but here

Tough field but should do well

7 – Naval Crown

Won last out at Meydan good enough with he’s first start after a break

Group 2 winner and has placed in group 3 races

Did nothing vs group 1 horses at Deauville but they took a chance

I really like the last race and could be good enough to beat this bunch

11 – Thunder Moon

Prep race at Dundalk AW running 2nd useful

Needs a trip to win because he’s faced better may times

Group 1 winner with 2 placings from 7 starts

Joseph O’Brien/Christophe Soumillon an interest combo for this race

 

Race 3 – Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap

1 – Sonnyboyliston

Loves long, long races and 3000m is in his wheelhouse

Group 1 winner and has won first up

The race I really like is at York in big field handicap that really tough bunch

2 wins in a row coming and targeted this race after the York win

Normally sits close to the pace and moves up later

2 – Princess Zoe

Runs in very well at long distance races up to 4000m

Group 1 winner (and placing) also placed in group 3

Ran at Longchamp last at 4000m losing to Trueshan and Stradivarius group 1

Prior race at 2816m at Curragh, 2nd to Twilight Payment group 3

Another 2nd at Royal Ascot to Subjectivist in group 1 beating Stradivarius and Spanish Mission

The point here is, she’s faced some of the best in Europe and done well, if ready and she generally is, she will have a good chance to win but at least be ITM

Likes to run mid-pack and moves up about halfway through the race to have a chance later

9 – Siskany

Won last out at Meydan at 2810m serving as a prep for here, by 5.5L

Ran a 2nd at Kempton AW at 2413m in listed race

He’s not won either group or listed race but form and he’s liking of distance improves he’s chance

Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick for Godolphin

There are other Godolphin horses in this race with a chance too

Placed more forwardly here if runs back to last race

 

Race 6

9 – Sekifu

6 starts 3 wins, only a listed winner in Japan but lately going well

Last race, he sat in the back and had traffic issues getting going but this was a turf race and dirt is the preferred surface

He’s won at 1400m many times at different track, the significant for me were at Hanshin even though these were a maiden and allowance races, he showed two different running styles with win

The listed race a Sonoda was a good win at 1400m and laid closer to the pace

The last race was at 1600m, so he gets a second chance at 1 mile here

8 – Pinehurst

Ran 2nd last out at Santa Anita in grade 2 after running behind the leader, really didn’t gain any ground to suggest he can win here

So why is Bob Baffert with Flavien Prat running here?

He’s a grade 1 winner at Del Mar (along with a maiden win)

Ok effort in the Juvenile Breeders Cup race even though no horse has won after this race, so far

If he races like the last race, he beats the rest of the field but win?

16 – Qarnas

Saudi owned and raced only at Riyadh (on the dirt) with good efforts but only a maiden winner.

Placed in group 3 race here

Home field advantage because he’s weight assignment in 53kg vs 59.3kg for top horse

I hope this is one of the local horses that can compete here

By Frosted (pretty good horse) and mare was stakes placed so I am guessing they paid a good price for this horse. Big odds

2 – Perfect Love

I am only adding this horse that bred in Argentina because I am very curious because this is he’s first start

He’s assigned second top weight of 59.6kg, why?

Well, maybe he showed something special in his barrier trial races on 11/27?

I know nothing about the breeding, but could this be a better horse even this being he’s first start?

Most likely, he runs last but I would watch and see if you can find more information about this horse, very curious

 

Race 7 – Riyadh Dirt Sprint

4 – GinobiliSCRATCHED

Showed speed in the Cigar Mile at AQU and faded out at 1600m, out of the race, Plainsmen won next out at Fairgrounds

She ran second to a horse by the name of Life is Good in the Breeder’s Cup and he just won next time out and wide out the field in the Pegasus (including horse of the year Knicks Go)

He won a 1400m group 2 race at Del Mar before the Breeder’s Cup race winning in frontrunning style

If you toss the last race and he’s runs at Del Mar, he should be this bunch but will he like the deeper, sand Riyadh tracks and will it favor speed?

2 – Copano Kicking

7 year old with 24 starts 10 wins and 8 placings and winner of a ton of money (over 4 million dollars)
Japanese horse has runs in Meydan and Riyadh (he won at this track in sprint cup)

In that race, he beat a very good Japanese sprinter named Matera Sky

Loves this distance with 14 starts 7 wins 3 placings at various tracks

Hasn’t race in a while but has won 3 times from 7 starts first up

William Buick has the mount and has won on this horse before

12 – Chain of Love

This horse may have found a new racing life on the dirt after 16 starts on the turf with 1 win. He’s last 2 races were at 1200m, today’s distance

Last 2 races on the Nakayama Dirt, he won an allowance race and ran 3rd in an open race 41 days ago,

He’s going to be in the rear of the pack and be moving late, really late

This appears to be plenty of speed so see could catch them in the end for at least a placing


Race 8 – Saudi Cup
 

9 – Mishriff

14 starts 7 wins and 4 placings with a win last year in this race beating Charlatan, Great Scot (running in another race today) and Knicks Go

After that, he ran against a few good horses include St Mark’s Basilica, Addeybb, Alenquer (who he beat), Sealiway (in here) Dubai Honour, Adayar and Love

Only 1 win after this race but place in the other 2 with a 4th in the last race

He has 6 wins from 12 starts on the turf, 1 for 1 on the dirt and an all-weather try

Trained by John Gosden and ridden again by David Egan

Oh, I should have pointed out his next race after the Saudi Cup was at Meydan on the turf and he won beating Chrono Genesis and Loves Only You (and we know what she did after this race)

Gosden won’t run him if he wasn’t ready for a top effort

He’s not going off at 20-1 like last year (I love him in the place last year)

10 – Real World

Win his last race at Meydan easily in group 2 prep for here

He’s also won with last 4 races too in group 2 down to handicap level, he’s found his best form as a 4 year old (now 5)

He’s won on various surfaces too so handling this track shouldn’t be an issue

The hot, in form horse that you cannot leave off your ticket, and he’s beaten some group winners too

7 – Mandaloun

In form, winning at Fairgrounds last out for Brad Cox (he failed at Fairground as a 3-year-old in the Louisiana Derby, he’s worst race of his career)

Beat Midnight Bourbon, who always runs his best

Grade 1 winner and recently prompted to 1st in the Kentucky Derby (I had him to win the Derby, but I am not cashing my win ticket)

My only question is handling the Saudi track, morning he’s look good from reports

8 – Midnight Bourbon

Always tries but just has 2 wins, in the money, possibility but win, no.

 

Rich’s Ranks

Race 1 – Neom Turf Cup

9 – PYLEDRIVER

2 – AUTHORITY

4 – FLYING VISIT

13 – EUDAIMONIA

 

Race 2 – Turf Sprint

7 – NAVAL CROWN

4 – HAPPY POWER

14 – SONGLINE

1 – CASA CREED

 

Race 3 – Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap

4 – BARON SAMEDI

9 – SISKANY

3 – SKAZINO

10 – DESERT FIRE

 

Race 7 – Riyadh Dirt Sprint

3 – DANCING PRINCE

11 – RUDY TRIGGER

10 – SWITZERLAND

6 – GLADIATOR KING

 

Race 8 – Saudi Cup

13 – T O KEYNES

9 – MISHRIFF

7 – MANDALOUN

3 – COUNTRY GRAMMER

5 – MAGNY COURS (longshot)

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