Saudi Cup boost

WHILE other jurisdictions are cutting prize money, the Saudi Cup meeting is going up in value. There will be $30.5 million on offer at the two-day fixture in 2021, up from $29.2 million this year. The Saudi Derby, a dirt race for three-year-olds, has almost doubled in value to $1.5 million. Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Mishriff finished second in the first running.

Love could blossom

LOVE looks set to head to the Breeders’ Cup having been taken out of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Thursday’s final forfeit stage due to very soft ground at ParisLongchamp.

O’Brien said: “We had to make the decision [on Thursday] because there was no other stage after this. If Ryan (Moore) was declared to ride her he then couldn’t ride anything else (if Love was later taken out), so we had to make the decision [on Thursday].”

The trainer is still represented in Sunday’s big race by Derby hero Serpentine, who was supplemented on Wednesday at a cost of €72,000, Sovereign, Japan and Mogul, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and who will be ridden by Moore. Preview >> 53

Shadwell’s big draft

THERE are 1,617 lots in the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training catalogue, which has just been published.

The four-day sale starts on Monday, October 26th. The largest consignment in the sale is Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell draft with 87 lots catalogued including 18 horses rated over 95 by Timeform.

Persian King plans

PERSIAN King, who runs in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, will stand at Haras d’Etreham next season. A son of Kingman, he was trained by André Fabre to win three Group 1 races: the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the Prix d’Ispahan and the Prix du Moulin. The horse is owned in partnership by the Wildenstein’s Dayton Investments and Darley.

Fairyhouse fixture

FAIRYHOUSE will stage an additional flat meeting on Tuesday afternoon, October 20th. A full programme of races will be published by Horse Racing Ireland in due course.

Kerry rematch

CABARET Queen and Moyhenna, first and second in the Kerry National at Listowel, are among 41 entries for the J.T. McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase at Limerick on Sunday week, October 11th.

A total of 14 horses who ran in the Listowel feature are entered, including the third- and fourth-placed Doctor Duffy and The West’s Awake.

The Fellow’s jockey

ADAM Kondrat, who rode 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner The Fellow, has died after a long illness. He was 53. Born in Poland, he was based in France.

The Fellow was trained by Francois Doumen and Kondrat rode the horse to win the King George VI Chase at Kempton twice.