Matera Sky

Trainer Hideyuki Mori will send four Japanese-based American-bred horses under his care to the Breeders' Cup, according to the Daily Sports newspaper, including 2-year-old colt Jasper Great (Arrogate), who became the first Japanese winner for his late sire (by Unbridled's Song) with a victory over the past weekend. Mori has become an active buyer at American bloodstock sales and acquired Jasper Great for $200,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase. The half-brother to GISW Power Broker (Pulpit) and SW Fierce Boots (Tiznow) was sent off at debut odds of...

by Alan Carasso One of three Japanese raiders, Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) came with a stinging final-furlong rally in Saturday's Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint and was up on the wire to defeat Matera Sky (Speightstown), who dropped a similarly gut-wrenching decision to New York Central (Tapit) in the inaugural running of the event in 2020. The locally based Faz Zae (KSA) (Mizzen Mast) finished best of the rest. The fleet-footed Matera Sky jumped straight into the bridle from gate one and led along the inside, as recent...

The first three home in last year's Red Sea Turf Handicap have all returned to Riyadh for this $2.5 million staying contest over 3,000 metres. The trio is led by the George Strawbridge homebred Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}), whose victory over Mekong (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) was followed through the French summer with wins in the G3 Prix de Barbeville and G2 Prix Kergorlay.  Freddy Head, who arrived in Saudi in time to see the 7-year-old have an easy canter on Thursday...