Newmarket Trainer John Gosden Has Big Targets Abroad and at Home for Mishriff

Mishriff helped Newmarket trainer John Gosden record a first victory in the valuable Saudi Cup in February, scooping almost £7,300,000 in prize money.

This win in Riyadh was all the more remarkable, given that the four-year-old Make Believe colt was a maiden on the dirt. Mishriff had run well when runner-up in the 2020 Saudi Derby but, prior to his Cup bonanza, was best known for his exploits on turf.

A Listed winner of a Newmarket Classic Trial on his first start in Britain last year, he went on to win the French Derby in some style. International travel clearly suits Mishriff, and he also has another mission in the Middle East this spring.

Gosden confirmed he accepted an invitation to race his horse in the United Arab Emirates, switching back to turf for the Group 1 Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night (27 March). Mishriff will tackles a mile-and-a-half at Meydan for the first time in his career.

There are also summer targets at home, with Gosden mentioning both Royal Ascot where he always sends a strong team and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. All of Mishriff’s big successes have come outside the UK, so to have him in action at major meetings in the months ahead is something that racing fans can look forward to.

Appleby 2000 Guineas hopes coast home in Meydan Classic

Another Newmarket trainer, Charlie Appleby, enjoyed a one-two in the Listed Meydan Classic over a mile with his Godolphin duo Naval Crown and Master Of The Seas. Both horses hold early closing entries in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday, 1 May.

Master Of The Seas is the shorter price in the Rowley Mile Classic, at 25/1 in the ante post horse racing betting with bet365. He was conceding race fitness to Naval Crown, who shaped as though he may want further than a mile on a previous outing at Meydan.

Appleby’s duo pulled eight lengths clear and upwards clear of the remainder with Master Of The Seas keen in the early going. Last year’s Group 2 Superlative Stakes winner on the July course at Newmarket was a two-length fourth to Thunder Moon in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on his final outing as a juvenile.

Jockey Club Stakes return the plan for St Leger third Pyledriver

Another Group 2 winner from last season we could see at Newmarket over Guineas Weekend is William Muir stable star Pyledriver. The Royal Ascot King Edward VII and York Great Voltigeur winner remains in training and has a number of top middle-distance races on his agenda.

Pyledriver later finished a fine third in the St Leger at Doncaster with Muir earmarking the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes for his reappearance. Like Mishriff, he disappointed in the Champion Stakes after a lengthy campaign.

Running at Newmarket is the first stop on an ambitious roadmap that Muir has plotted, for the campaign. Other races Pyledriver is set to be involved in include the Coronation Cup on Epsom Downs, Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and then the King George in July.