Mostahdaf Makes It Look Easy For The Gosdens In Neom Turf Cup

 Published Date: February 25, 2023

George Boughey’s Missed The Cut (Quality Road) may have fluffed his lines but still the G3 Neom Turf Cup went for export with fellow Newmarket-based trainers John and Thady Gosden landing the $1.5 million contest with Arc also-ran Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) sprinting clear under Jim Crowley. 

John Gosden suggested after the race that the Dubai World Cup could be next for Mostahdaf, a horse the team at Clarehaven Stables thought good enough to run in Europe’s showcase race last autumn.

But this was the day where Mostahdaf came good on his initial promise by carrying the famous Shadwell Estate colours to a seven-length victory over Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Missed The Cut could only manage fourth after racing far too keenly. 

Gosden said, “He did it perfectly. He had a nice draw and Jim used it. I think the track is quick and, if you are handy and have Mikael Barzalona [aboard Eagle’s Flight (Ire) (Gleaneagles {Ire})] measuring the fractions, that’s where you want to be; handy.”

He added, “Stunningly-good performance. We obviously know the family well and Sheikha Hissa has done wonderfully to keep these horses in training and her father would be so proud with what she has done with the stable. It’s a Shadwell family and we have the sister and we have the brother who is a nice three-year-old, so look, he’s an improving horse and we’re delighted with him.

“If he flies home in great form, obviously we came here with Mishriff (Ire) and then he went to Dubai, so he could run on Dubai World Cup night as well.”

Boughey was less sure where Missed The Cut would be off to next. The bitterly-disappointed trainer explained how the short-priced favourite was somewhat a victim of his own downfall after his early antics in the race. 

“He probably did a little bit too much down the outside. It was no-one’s fault and I think he might have travelled a little bit further than some of them.That’s racing, isn’t it. It’s frustrating but he will be back.”

Boughey added, “He travelled down to post good and then was one who was throwing about. It didn’t help him but, essentially, he’s probably run a little bit below the form of his last race if you take the winner out of it.

“There’s lots of different options for him but I was slightly hoping that we’d see a different horse today. We’ll see how he is tomorrow and see where we go from there.”

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP SPONSORED BY ALTANFEETHI-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-25, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.24, fm.
1–MOSTAHDAF (IRE), 126, h, 5, by Frankel (GB)
                1st Dam: Handassa (GB) (SW-Ire), by Dubawi
                2nd Dam: Starstone (GB), by Diktat (GB)
                3rd Dam: Star (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited; T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Jim Crowley; $900,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Eng, 13-8-2-0, $1,254,238. *1/2 to Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eur & Eng at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng, $409,959. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Dubai Future (GB), 126, g, 7, Dubawi (Ire)–Anjaz, by Street Cry (Ire). O/B-Godolphin; T-Saeed Bin Suroor; J-Daniel Tudhope; $300,000.
3–Flying Visit (Ire), 126, g, 5, Pride Of Dubai (Aus)–Fionnuar (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). (28,000gns HRA ’21 TATAUT). O-Alfathwa Stable; B-J S Bolger; T-Sami Al Harabi; J-Ricardo Ferreira; $150,000.
Margins: 7, 5 3/4, 1 3/4.Odds: 9-5, 8-1, 55-1.
Also Ran: Missed the Cut, Eagle’s Flight (Ire), Castle (Ire), White Moonlight, Star of Wins, Sir Busker (Ire), Byline (GB). Scratched: Peter The Great (GB). VIDEO

 

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