‘Perfect’ Mishriff hoping to cash in at Saudi Cup

John and Thady Gosden’s money-spinner will take his career earnings – which already stand at £11.1m – higher than any other horse in history should he win the newly anointed Group One in Riyadh on Saturday which has a $20m prize fund.

Having shown great versatility, winning over a variety of trips on turf and on dirt, Mishriff has proven himself unique among the world’s best.

Egan, 21, enjoyed a ‘coming of age’ ride when the Prince Faisal-owned Mishriff beat allcomers in last year’s Saudi Cup in Riyadh. They then won the Dubai Sheema Classic before returning to Britain and recording placed efforts in both the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Ascot.

Mishriff and Egan – grandson of Irish racing legend Dessie Hughes – were then mesmerising winners of York’s £1m Juddmonte International, a centrepiece of the Ebor Festival, before finishing fourth in the Qipco Champion Stakes to round off a 2021 that the young jockey will never forget.

“The horse is in good shape again, he’s fit and healthy and he’s got all guns blazing, I suppose,” said Egan.

“He’s a credit to Team Gosden and everyone at Clarehaven, mentally he must be so strong. He’s a credit to himself as well, to do it on any surface and any trip is quite astonishing really.

“It was a feather in his cap having run well in the (Saudi) Derby out here the year before last and now he’s run well here twice, whereas some will be coming out here for the first time and running on this sort of surface for the first time.

“He’s had a similar prep in the UK, he travels well and takes it all in his stride so I hope things go nice and smoothly into the race.”

He went on: “Mishriff won’t feel the pressure, this is his usual trip in February and he’s getting used to it now. My form study will start when the draw happens.

“He’s a lot more professional in his races now. As a three-year-old he would jump slow and took an age to get going. He was just immature, but racing and developing with age has helped turn him into the perfect racehorse.

“Last year everyone had their eyes on Knicks Go and Charlatan, it’s more of an open race this year and there’s half a dozen who could win.

“Mishriff has proved he’s the horse to beat with track experience and leads the way, I suppose.”

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire’s Paddy Trainor is celebrating after neing crowned Employee of the Year at the conclusion of the 2022 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards.

For the second year in a row, racing’s everyday heroes were honoured with a virtual ceremony, broadcast live on Racing TV and hosted by Oli Bell.

Trainor will receive a £10,000 prize for himself, a further £10,000 to be shared among his colleagues at the Middleham stables of Mark and Charlie Johnston Racing and the perpetual Godolphin Trophy.

Earlier in the evening Trainor had won the Rider/Groom Award, which itself carried prize money of £5,000 for himself and the same again for the yard.

Trainor has worked for Johnston Racing for 23 years and left an indelible mark on Britain’s most successful training operation.

Recently qualified as an Industry Coach, he works tirelessly to help those less experienced to develop their skills and improve their knowledge of horse welfare.

He is said to be a constant source of encouragement for younger members of staff and keeps up enthusiasm and morale with his larger-than-life character and outlook on life.

Racing TV anchor Nick Luck, chair of the judging panel, said: “Paddy is an incredibly deserving winner of the Employee of the Year Award and all of his colleagues at Johnston Racing will rightly feel very proud this evening.”

Previous North Yorkshire winners include Gemma Hogg, assistant to Middleham trainer Micky Hammond, and Jessica McLernon who is now married to Flat jockey Jason Hart.

Dual champion hurdler Buveur D’Air is all set to make his seasonal reappearance in the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on March 5.

Now 11, he has only had three races since winning the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in 2019 after picking up a serious injury when edged out in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle later that year by the Micky Hammond-trained and Henry Brooke-ridden Cornerstone Lad.

A return to Liverool for the Aintree Hurdle at the Randox Grand National meeeting is the horse’s priority, says trainer Nicky Henderson.

“He’s in fantastic form,” said Henderson.

“He worked extremely well on Saturday and the plan is to go to Kelso next week. He wasn’t quite ready to run last weekend (Kingwell), but worked really well on Saturday, although he did have a good blow.

“I’m trying to get him ready for the Aintree Hurdle and I couldn’t use the Champion Hurdle as a prep, could I?” He really did work well for a gentleman of his age at the weekend.”