Mishriff Back on Saudi Cup Trail

Mishriff  has started to build up to his attempt to land the world's richest race, next month's Saudi Cup (G1), for a second successive year.

The 1 1/8-mile dirt contest has a purse of $20 million and this time around, for its third running, it has group 1 status for the first time.

A year ago it was the race that gave jockey David Egan his first taste of the big time when the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt ran down U.S. rival Charlatan  .

Mishriff and Egan then went on to enjoy top-level glory in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) at Meydan and the Juddmonte International (G1) at York, finishing off with a fourth place in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot last October.

With a Breeders' Cup tilt decided against, Mishriff was put into winter quarters at Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket, from where he has recently emerged to begin preparations for a return to Riyadh on Feb. 26.

John Gosden said: "Mishriff has done well over winter as you would expect as he's a 5-year-old and he's thickened out again. He's been back out cantering on Warren Hill for the past few days and we are slowly building him up for another crack at the Saudi Cup."

He added: "It was a great win in Riyadh a year ago, which was obviously a great thrill to his Saudi owner Prince Faisal, and hopefully all roads lead back there next month."

Mishriff is a 4-1 chance for a repeat behind the U.S.-trained Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good , at 7-2.

Mishriff may have company on his return mission next month as his stablemate Lord North  is being primed to tackle the Neom Turf Cup (G3) on the same card, a contest that this year has had its purse raised by $500,000 to $1.5 million.

Lord North won the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1) at Meydan last March but missed the rest of the season with issues.

Gosden said: "Hopefully Lord North can join Mishriff in Saudi Arabia and he's in good shape."