Moore masterful again, guides Tower of London to Red Sea victory

Luxembourg, the 3-5 favorite in a 13-horse field, got a perfect pressing trip in the $2 million Neom Turf but finished third with no excuse, as Spirit Dancer posted a 13-1 upset. One race later on the Saudi Cup card, dejection became jubilation for Coolmore, trainer Aidan O’Brien, and jockey Ryan Moore won the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf with Tower of London, who had plenty of excuses but needed none.

Trapped along the rail near the tail of a 14-runner field in this 1 7/8-mile contest, Moore came off the fence early on the final turn but quickly was blocked by a fading rival, diving back down to the fence. Cornering into the homestretch, Moore came out again, looking for room that wasn’t there, and briefly steered Tower of London left, looking to split rivals. Stymied there, too, Moore gave up and hooked a sharp right, getting to the far outside, and Tower of London had so much run that he was able to get home by about a neck.

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Enemy finished second, edging Giavellotto, who loomed the Red Sea winner at the furlong grounds before flattening out in the final 100 meters. The tepid favorite, Tower of London paid $8.10 to win. The fast-ground loving 4-year-old by Galileo out of Dialafara, by Anabba, scored the most important victory of his career, winning for the fourth time in nine outings.

Luxembourg, one of the better 1 1/4-mile grass horses in the world, was anything but a tepid favorite in the Neom Turf Cup, where Moore hustled from an outside post position to get Luxembourg into second, tracking the pace of 20-1 shot Jack Darcy. Coming off an excellent second 2 1/2 months ago in Hong Kong to Romantic Warrior, Luxembourg might have felt the effects of a long campaign, failing to sufficiently quicken through the homestretch.

Instead, it was 7-year-old Spirit Dancer ($29.40) who stormed down the center of the course under Oisin Orr to win by a length over the Japan-based Killer Ability. Calif was third, a half-length better than fading Luxembourg.

Spirit Dancer, a Richard Fahey-trained gelding by Frankel out of Queen’s Dream, by Oasis Dream, has been a handicapper much of his career, but found a higher form level last summer, a three-race winning streak capped by a victory in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes Aug. 26 at York. Spirit Dancer won a rich race in Bahrain Nov. 17 and came into the Neom Turf Cup after a solid fourth Jan. 26 in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan. After winning just twice in his first 17 outings, Spirit Dancer now has five wins from his last seven starts, Saturday’s a very lucrative one.

*Annaf ($34.90) broke from post 12 in the 1351 Turf Sprint but somehow managed to find his way to the fence within the race’s first furlong. There Annaf stayed the remainder of the race, a rail-skimming trip under Rossa Ryan producing a three-quarters-length victory over the Japanese runner La La Christine. Mick Appleby, won won his first American race last fall with Big Evs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, trains Annaf, a 5-year-old son of Muhaararand the Storm Cat mare, Shimah.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.