Romantic Warrior chases huge payday

Ed Marnane

Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior, a multiple Group 1 winner on the world stage, continues his Middle East campaign in Saturday’s Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race, four weeks after lowering the track record when bolting up in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan.

Trained by Danny Shum, Romantic Warrior faces a different challenge in the $20m event as he tackles dirt for the first time in his career. Romantic Warrior’s pedigree offers hope he can handle the underfoot conditions, being out of Street Cry mare.

Saeed bin Suroor-trained Street Cry won the Dubai World Cup and was a multiple winner on dirt.

Romantic Warrior, the mount of James McDonald and the world’s highest-earning horse, will jump from barrier No 3 in Saturday’s showpiece at the Riyadh track. If the seven-year-old is equally effective on dirt, he will be hard to beat as he bids for a remarkable 11^th win at Group 1 level.

Forever Young, winner of the Saudi Derby 12 months ago, is the chief threat for Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi as he bids to become the second winner of the Saudi Cup for the stable, two years after Panthalassa made all the running to narrowly prevail in an exciting finish.

Yahagi has enjoyed terrific success on the world stage and his overseas raiders always command plenty of respect. He has saddled winners of the Cox Plate, the Breeders’ Cup and sent out multiple winners in both Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Forever Young, the leading hope of the three Japanese runners, has demonstrated his class in the US last year, finishing a close third in the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He arrives in the Middle East at the top of his game, winning his prep, the Tokyo Daishoten (Grade 1) in late December.

Forever Young holds strong claims of recording his first Group 1 overseas, despite being done no favours with the draw, having to jump from the widest barrier in stall No 14.

Japan has an excellent record in the Saudi Derby, winning three of the five renewals since the race was established in 2020. The undefeated Myriad Love heads a strong Japanese challenge on her first assignment overseas.

She’s a smart filly and is highly effective on dirt. She was a dominant front-running winner of the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, a local Grade 1 in Kawasaki in December.

In an open-looking event, the progressive US colt Cyclone State, winner of his last three races including the Jerome Stakes, appeals, along with Golden Vekoma, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas for Ahmad bin Harmash.

Mick Appleby’s stable star, Annaf, the mount of Rossa Ryan, returns to Saudi Arabia to defend his crown in the 1351 Turf Sprint. He ran on well in the closing stages when third in the Kachy Stakes at Lingfield, shaping nicely having been tardy at the start. He’s entitled to step forward for the run and from a decent draw, he commands respect.

It is easy to make a case for the Japanese pair Ascoli Piceno and Ten Happy Rose, with preference for the latter. She can boast Grade 1 winning form on her native soil and ran well when a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.

Ascoli Piceno, a Grade 1 winning juvenile and runner-up in the Japanese 1000 Guineas, is on a retrieving mission having disappointed in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill. She failed to make any impression behind the William Haggas-trained winner Lake Forest, having met trouble at the start and was unsuited by the slow ground. She was reported to be coughing after the race.

Remake, last year’s Riyadh Dirt winner, faces a stiff task in this year’s renewal taking on Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Straight No Chaser, trained by Dan Blacker.

By Speighster, Straight No Chaser thrived last year and impressed at Del Mar when forging clear in the closing stages having always been handy. He’s a strong travelling sprinter, lightly raced and remains open to further improvement. He looks the one to beat.

Remake, who is contesting the Riyadh Dirt Sprint for the third successive year, has plenty to find with Straight Chaser on their form in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November. Trained by Koichi Shintani, Remake is likely to bounce back over a track he has proven highly effective and can’t be ignored.

Race 8, the Red Sea Turf Handicap, is a competitive event and last year’s fourth Al Nayyir heads the weights off a mark of 114. He was much improved for Tom Ward last year, impressing when winning the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket. He’s a player despite having to give weight to everybody.

Continuous, representing last year’s winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien, the useful British stayer Gregory, in first-time blinkers, command respect, along with the lightly raced stayer Deira Mile, trained by Owen Burrows.

Earlier on the card, the Neom Turf Cup over 2100m on turf, has drawn a field of 10. Spirit Dancer, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, is no stranger to success in the Middle East, twice winning the Bahrain International Trophy and taking out last year’s Neom Turf Cup in the past 16 months.

He was disappointing in the Hong Kong Cup but back on a track he’s unbeaten, he can rediscover his best form under the talented Irish rider Oisin Orr.

Al Riffa, the second highest ranked runner in the field on a mark of 120, represents Joseph O’Brien. Winner of Group 1 in Germany in September, he could be vulnerable on quick ground and doesn’t appeal at the prices as he bids to become only the second Irish trainer winner of the race.

Of the others, Japan’s Shin Emperor makes most appeal on his first appearance since beaten a neck in the Japan Cup 90 days ago. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, he produced a decent effort in the Irish Champion Stakes, staying on well in the closing stages to finish a creditable third behind Economics and Auguste Rodin, two of the stars of the 2024 European season.

BEST BET

Race 9 No 5 Forever Young

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 13 Ten Happy Rose

BEST SWINGER

Race 3: 11-Myriad Love and 4-Cyclone State

JACKPOT

(Races 6-9)

R64

Leg 1: 6, 8

Leg 2: 1, 8, 12, 13

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 4: 5, 9