Saudi path for Prince and Self
VICTORIAN Spring Carnival winners Prince Of Arran and True Self could be bound for February’s rich Saudi Cup meeting as a launching pad to the 2020 Melbourne Cup.
Geelong Cup winner Prince Of Arran and Queen Elizabeth Stakes victor True Self are in contention to travel to Riyadh on February 29 for the $3.6 million Red Sea Handicap (3000m).
Charlie Fellowes is already plotting a third Melbourne Cup tilt with Prince Of Arran, who twice filled the placings in Australia’s biggest race.
True Self missed a Cup run last spring as the 25th horse in order before emerging to a dominant win in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
If Prince Of Arran and True Self clash in Riyadh it will continue a rivalry which started at The Ebor where former jumper True Self finished ahead of the adopted Australian crowd favourite.
Prince Of Arran narrowly fended off True Self at Geelong before finishing second on protest in the Melbourne Cup.
True Self (seventh) was the better performed of the pair in the Hong Kong Vase when Prince Of Arran faded to 11th behind Japan’s Glory Vase.
The Red Sea Handicap is part of the undercard to the $28 million Saudi Cup (1800m), which offers $14 million to the winner.
Raymond Tusk, which won the Betway Stakes (3270m) last week to atone for his Melbourne Cup 16th, could also head to Riyadh.
The Saudi Cup, the world’s richest horse race, is open to northern hemisphere fouryear-olds and up and southern hemisphere three-year-olds and up.