IT is possible to deplore many of the activities of the ruling regime in Saudi Arabia and some of them in the UAE – I do – while still being interested in knowing what racing in those countries amounts to.
The former staged the second running of the nine-furlong Saudi Cup – the world’s richest race – at King Abdulaziz Racecourse last Saturday. It delivered a race and a finish of no small consequence, the French Derby winner Mishriff showing great tenacity to run down the high-class US colt Charlatan.
I would be lying if I wrote that I knew precisely what the time merit of the performance was worth, though it is possible to estimate such things using Universal Standard Times. Sectionals appeared to show that it was strongly run, with finishing speeds in the 93% region (97% is normal on dirt).
The long and short of it, though, is that Mishriff appears to have run to about 123, and Charlatan to 122, in coming clear of their rivals, and there were only a handful of horses capable of surpassing that in 2020. One imagines that Mishriff will be kept to nine-10 furlongs for most of this season, and he should certainly have other good races in him.
That Saudi card also featured wins for True Self (112) in the 10.5-furlong Turf Cup – Channel Maker was not quite at his best in second – and Space Blues (114) in the Turf Sprint. The latter had to battle quite hard to see off the previous year’s winner Dark Power but can run to at least 116 when asked.
Meydan’s meeting on Thursday showcased group wins for Equilateral (110), Mnasek (UAE Oaks, 102), D’Bai (109), Summer Romance (107) and Al Tariq (113). Summer Romance, who won the Balanchine – named after the winner of the Oaks at Epsom and the Irish Derby in 1994, and who coincidentally died on the day this was run – does seem especially effective making the running at around a mile.
Sixty scrambles
Hong Kong is not perfect, but its racing very nearly is, and they have one of the equine global stars at present in Golden Sixty, who made it 16 wins out of 17 in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup on Sunday, but not without another major scare.
Golden Sixty is capable of running to 124 on my figures but scrambled home by a short-head from 118-rated Furore in a stop-start race (108% finishing speed) and at a 2,000-metre trip that is longer than he usually runs at.
Waikuku won the 1400-metre Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup on the same card with a 115 figure, two short of his recent best.