Many believe Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup, the richest race in the world, is essentially a head-to-head between the two American stars, Charlatan and Knicks Go. But what of the ominous-looking third favourite, a Classic-winning challenger from trainer John Gosden who has actually run on the King Abdulaziz dirt track in Riyadh before - and run well? How likely is Mishriff to be able to shine on the surface at the highest level? Geir Stabell examines the evidence.
Mishriff’s name appeared quite late on the list of challengers for the 2020 Saudi Derby. The colt ran second behind the Japanese Full Flat. Did the son of Make Believe become a potential dirt star, almost by chance, in the process? And, was his ability to handle testing conditions a vital factor as he made his dirt track debut?
It is not a given, but over the years we have seen quite a few turf runners with strong form on soft and heavy ground do well when tried on dirt. Swain’s first win in the King George at Ascot came on soft turf, similar conditions to those he encountered when winning the Irish Champion Stakes. He then finished a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1998, having been beaten just a short-head by Silver Charm in the Dubai World Cup on the dirt at Nad Al Sheba earlier that year.
Sakhee’s Arc win in 2001, leading up his close second to Tiznow in the BC Classic, was achieved on ground described at holding in Paris. Further back, 1997 Dubai World Cup winner Singspiel, although not by any means a mudlark, had no problems with soft ground when landing the Canadian International in the preceding season.
All Mishriff's three runs as a juvenile came on heavy ground and he broke his maiden winning by ten lengths over 8½ furlongs at Nottingham. Interestingly, his sire, Make Believe, also met nothing but testing ground in his brief 2-year-old campaign. He was 2-for-2 in his first season, winning on soft and heavy, and he raced on good to soft ground when capturing the Poule d’Essai des Poulains by three lengths from New Bay at three. However, the ground was good when Make Believe got the better of Limato in the G1 Prix de la Foret later that season.
Mishriff emulated his sire as a Classic winner in France when he ran out a decisive winner of the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly last July, beating The Summit and Victor Ludorum by 1¾ lengths and a neck after delivering a strong kick from just off the pace. Those two had filled first and second in reverse order in the Poulains and the form looked strong. The Jockey Club was run on good to soft.
Mishriff raced once between the Saudi Derby and his Classic win, taking the listed Newmarket Stakes over ten furlongs in early June. His stable companion, Waldkonig, was a hot favourite that day but had to settle for third, while Mishriff powered home by four lengths from Godolphin's Volkan Star, who went on to win at listed and G3 level on his next two starts.
A straight ten-furlong race at Newmarket is always a test of stamina, but Mishriff was earmarked for 10½ furlongs at Chantilly, rather than a mile and a half at Epsom.
Visually impressive
He was visually impressive in the Jockey Club, and he beat The Summit once more when they met again in the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over ten furlongs at Deaville in August. The ground was heavy, Mishriff forged ahead with two furlongs to go and drew clear to beat The Summit by 4½ lengths. Victor Ludorum checked in third. The more testing the ground was, the further he beat these two rivals.
Two months later, Mishriff lined up for the Champion Stakes at Ascot, where there were problems with the ground after typical autumnal weather. One might have thought that Mishriff would be favoured by all the rain but, for whatever reason, he finished eighth to Addeybb, a noted soft/heavy ground specialist, with just two behind him.
How much respect does Mishriff deserve as he is set to meet the high-class North American duo Charlatan and and Knicks Go in the Saudi Cup?
Bookmakers have chalked him up at around 7/1. He performed with credit at Riyadh 12 months ago, finishing well after a slow start from stall 12, a draw that was probably advantageous. The winner, Full Flat, who was close to the pace throughout, broke from stall 14.
Mishriff's experience with the course can only be a plus. Given that he improved through the summer, it’s fair to assume that he can step up again as a 4-year-old. He is certainly bred to be top class, being a son of the well-bred mare Contradict, a daughter of Gosden’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Raven’s Pass.
Contradict was no star herself, though she carried Prince Faisal’s silks to victory once as a 3-year-old, winning a ten-furlong handicap easily on good to soft at Salisbury. Her dam, Acts Of Grace, was much better. She won the G3 Princess Royal Stakes over 12 furlongs on soft ground at Ascot, having gained listed success over the same sort of distance on good to soft in France.
Acts Of Grace is a half-sister to success stories Invincible Spirit and Kodiac. Their dam, Rahfa, won the Prix de Diane for Henry Cecil, and she also became the dam of the good middle-distance stayer Sadian. What made Rahfa so unique was that she could produce smart runners over all sorts of distances.
Her granddaughter, Contradict, has something to live up to. Prior to catching the limelight as the dam of Mishiriff, she had made her mark via her Bated Breath son Momkin, a G3-placed sprinter-miler who won once, and her Invincible Spirit son Orbaan, a listed-winning miler who visited the winners’ enclosure three times.
They both achieved ratings around the 110 mark, while Mishriff is officially rated 120. A bit more will be needed to lift the Saudi Cup, though quite how much more may be primarily influenced by how much stamina Charlatan and Knicks Go possess, compared to Mishriff.
His supporters will be quick to point out how he was ridden for stamina, committed a long way from home, on a couple of occasions last year, and hope that he is a progressive sort who really does excel on dirt.