Make Believe (GB)

Prince Faisal's Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who took the $20-million Saudi Cup last February, touched down safely in Riyadh on Monday and is ready to defend his title, according to co-trainer Thady Gosden, who trains with his father, John. The race, promoted to Group 1 status for the first time in 2022, anchors the two-day Saudi Cup Meeting and will take place on Saturday. If the 2020 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and 2021 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victor wins the 1800-metre dirt race, he would...

Prince Faisal's 2021 $20-million Saudi Cup hero Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) is in excellent form ahead of his defence of his crown in the 2022 edition, the first time the race has been accorded Group 1 status. The John and Thady Gosden runner took the G1 Sheema Classic at Meydan last March, and was third in Sandown's G1 Eclipse S. July. Second to Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. on July 24, he bounced back to win the G1 Juddmonte International...

Prince Faisal's Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), victorious in last season's Saudi Cup in Riyadh, remains on course to defend his title in the $20-million race Feb. 26. The race will be run as a Group 1 for the first time this year. "That's his target, the Saudi Cup, and as far as I know everything is on track," said Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal. Following last season's victory, the John and Thady Gosden trainee added a win in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. Later...

Three-time Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will still race next at Del Mar's Breeders' Cup meeting in early November, as long as he remains well. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, who won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club last term, ran fourth in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 16. He kicked off his season with a victory in the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt in February and added Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic back on turf at the end of March. Third in...

Gaining the British group 1 his record demanded in devastating style on Wednesday, Prince Faisal's Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) proved a class apart in one of the finest performances witnessed in the history of York's Juddmonte International. Third to the race's absentee St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) on his European return in Sandown's G1 Eclipse July 3, the high-level worldwide campaigner had moved forward considerably in the subsequent three-week period to be runner-up in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot. This represented a...

Group 1 winner Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will step forward in the G1 Dubai Turf over 1800 metres on Mar. 27, Racing Post reported on Monday. Trainer John Gosden accepted an invitation for the race for the Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing colourbearer. A winner of the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. last June, the bay was third in the G1 Juddmonte Internatioanl S. a month later. Unplaced in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Oct. 17, he was a solid fourth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf...

The John Gosden-trained, Prince Faisal homebred Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) stole the show in Saturday's $20-million Saudi Cup. Gary King caught up with Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal, on Monday morning to reflect on the win. GK: Prince Faisal has enjoyed incredible success in the bloodstock world over the years, which includes breeding and racing Invincible Spirit (Ire). Where does this victory rank? TV: I think being on his home dirt, as it were, I would have to say Mishriff has made Prince Faisal a very proud...

Knicks Go (Paynter) and Charlatan (Speightstown), a pair of major forces headlining the American racing scene in 2020, take on 12 others in Saturday's $20-million Saudi World Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both Grade I winners in their latest starts, the pair represent two of America's leading trainers, Brad Cox, who took home his first Eclipse Award last season, and Bob Baffert, a 2020 finalist who had previously annexed four training titles. Knicks Go, winner of the 2018 GI Breeders' Futurity S. while under the care...

French Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who ran second in the 2020 Saudi Derby in Riyadh on Feb. 29, needs a wide draw in the Feb. 20 $20-million Saudi Cup according to trainer John Gosden. The colt rebounded with a win in the Listed Newmarket S. on June 6 and won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on July 5. His final win of the year was a victory in the G2 Prix Guillaume de Ornano at Deauville on Aug. 15 before an eighth in the G1...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Emma Berry spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Hubert Honoré. EB: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? HH: Sottsass (Fr), at €30,000, is very good value for what he's done; he was a very consistent horse. Also Wooded (Ire) was a good sprinter who was very well trained and he will get a good chance. He's not too dear at €15,000. EB: Best...

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Joseph Burke. GK: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee? JB: I must admit that whilst I have not inspected any of the first-season sires yet, on paper I expected Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) to be standing for a little more than €20,000. So I booked one of our better mares to him, a Group 3-winning 2-year-old...

Lope de Vega (Ire) (Shamardal), who has enjoyed a stellar year with his progeny on the track, has seen his fee increased to €125,000 from €100,000 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. In 2020, the sire of 77 black-type winners total, has enjoyed four Group 1 winners, including juveniles Lucky Vega (Ire) in the G1 Phoenix S. and Aunt Pearl (Ire) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Previous Grade I winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) scored in the GI Just a Game S. Stateside and Gytrash (Aus) saluted in the G1...