Jockey Tadhg O’Shea flies the flag for Ireland in the world’s richest horse race in Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening.
One of Irish racing’s most notable expats, O’Shea teams up with the 25-1 outsider Remorse, part of a 13-strong field for the fourth renewal of the $20 million Saudi Cup at the King Abdulaziz racetrack in Riyadh.
The controversial event, which has been accused of being part of a Saudi government ‘sportwashing’ campaign, is due off at 5.35 Irish time and is live on both Virgin Media Two and ITV.
Betting lists are topped by the US pair, Country Grammer and Taiba, both trained by Bob Baffert.
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Country Grammer will once again be ridden by Frankie Dettori and the consistent six-year-old will try to reverse placings with last year’s locally-trained winner Emblem Road.
County Grammer followed up his Saudi Cup effort a year ago by landing the Dubai World Cup at Meydan under Dettori a month later.
Taiba will be ridden by another veteran star in Mike Smith while Ryan Moore has been snapped up for one of the strong team of Japanese hopefuls, Jun Light Bolt.
The $20 million highlight tops a lucrative card that last year attracted four Irish runners but is without a visitor from this country now.
There will nevertheless be considerable interest in O’Shea’s attempt to secure the biggest success of his career.
The 41-year-old rider, originally from Dromahane in Co Cork, was twice Ireland’s champion apprentice in the late 1990s before moving his tack to Dubai over 20 years ago.
Since then, he has been a multiple champion jockey and become the most successful jockey ever in the UAE, reaching the 700-winner mark there in January.
The ex-French Remorse was third in a Group Two at Meydan on his last start earlier this month and won a Listed contest there just before Christmas.
O’Shea also rode him to finish sixth to Country Grammer in last year’s Dubai World Cup.
Yet again, though, much of the focus will be on Dettori, who has travelled from his winter base in California to try to win the Saudi Cup in his final year riding.
The 52-year-old Italian star has been in outstanding form in the US so far this winter and is hopeful of a good outcome.
“Country Grammer has been aimed at these two races, the Saudi Cup and then on to Dubai. This was always the plan,” Dettori reported.
“Country Grammer is very solid and never runs a bad race. Touch wood he doesn’t start now.
“He was second last year, is tough and has travelled before, which is a plus. I would be foolish to say that I am confident, but I am very pleased to ride him and he will give his best,” he added.
Earlier on the card, Dettori is back on board the Ebor winner Trawlerman in a Group Three handicap (3.25), while he is also on Baffert’s Havenameltdown in the Saudi Derby, off at 4.05.
The inaugural Saudi Cup in 2020 saw Maximum Security first past the post only for his trainer Jason Servis to become embroiled in a US doping scandal.
Late last year Servis pleaded guilty to regularly doping horses in his care, although Maximum Security technically remains credited with the Saudi Cup victory.
However, the Saudi Jockey Club refused to pay out the $10 million first prize while conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter.
John and Thady Gosden, successful in the 2021 Saudi Cup with Mishriff, send a three-pronged attack into Saturday’s Group Three winter Derby on Lingfield’s all-weather, topped by the proven top-flight performer Lord North.
