World-class meetings on two continents today form an exciting Simulcast programme with action coming from Randwick Racecourse in Sydney with Chipping Norton Stakes Day and then King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh for the Saudi Cup, the world’s richest horse race.
While the Randwick meeting is not yet part of World Pool, international racing purists will turn their attention to the Group 1 Surround Stakes at 1pm for three-year-old fillies over 1400m, where Hugh Bowman rides In Secret – the highest-rated runner in the race – for James Cummings. I make her a win and place chance. My second choice is Zougotcha, ridden by James McDonald.
The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 over 1600m and is headlined by Anamoe, who is a four-year-old and the star of Australian racing. He will be ridden by James McDonald and will be hard to beat as he bids to follow in the footsteps of the all legends of the Australian Turf like Phar Lap, Tulloch and Winx.
Hugh Bowman will attempt to upset Anamoe on Mo’unga, who has hardcore finishing power. He also has proven his quality when beating Anamoe home in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes over 2000m last November.
Two other horses that I like are Hinged, who will be ridden by Brenton Avdulla, and Law Of Indices, who will be partnered by Ryan Maloney. Laws Of Indices finished third in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in December and should be fitter than in his first start back in Australia in the Apollo Stakes over 1400m, when beaten by Anamoe and will appreciate stepping up in distance.
After Randwick, we will cover for the first time the meeting in Saudi Arabia at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, starting from 10.05pm with the Group 3 Neom Turf Cup (2100m), while the meeting highlight is the Group 1 Saudi Cup which offers the highest prize money in the world of US $20 million. The Saudi Cup is run on a dirt Surface over 1800m and has attracted in its fourth renewal some excellent horses who will be ridden by jockeys of the calibre of Joao Moreira, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore, Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona and Mike Smith.
Last year, Saudi-trained Emblem Road caused a major upset, storming home from the back to defeat American dirt star Country Grammer and both return for a rematch.
Country Grammer has been in fine form since that race, including a victory in the 2022 Dubai World Cup. He comes into this race off a dominant G2 win at Santa Anita on 26 December and Frankie Dettori will have him in a good striking position off the rails from gate ten and he is a win and place chance.
The Japanese challenge includes Panthalassa and Geoglyph who switch to the dirt after their last runs in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup. The best of the Japanese runners might be Jun Light Bolt, who has won his last three including the G1 Champions Cup on 4 December. Ryan Moore takes the ride and he is a place chance.
American four-year-old Taiba won both the Santa Anita and Pennsylvania Derbies last year and was third to champion Flightline in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. At his only run since the Breeders’ Cup, Taiba won the G1 Malibu Stakes over 1400m on 26 December. Legendary rider Mike Smith will have Taiba, from gate two, stalking the pace which will be fast from the outset and he looms as the hardest to beat for Country Grammer.
We will tomorrow (Sunday, 26 February) publish a second blog for the weekend, highlighting the clash between our two Hong Kong titans – Golden Sixty and Romantic Warrior – in the HK$12 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) as well as the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Cup, which is the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, with the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) as the finale on 19 March.
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