The 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar marked a breakthrough for Japanese horses. Loves Only You won the Filly and Mare Turf, and Marche Lorraine won the Distaff, the first Japan-based winners of Breeders’ Cup races. Yet that was nothing compared to the Japanese domination of stakes races on the Saudi Cup undercard on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse outside Riyadh.

Emblem Road scored an Arcangues-like upset Saturday in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Purchased at auction in America but campaigned strictly in Saudi Arabia, Emblem Road swept past Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon with 100 yards left and won the Saudi Cup by a half-length. He paid $229.20, not far off the $269.20 win price on Arcangues in the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Classic, one of the great upsets in a major race.

A trio of New Zealand-bred stayers – Vanguard, Gunaluva, and Savvy Acquisition – appear poised to dominate a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Hamilton Racecourse in Australia on Monday.

Vanguard was the 8-5 favorite in early betting on Saturday even though the durable 5-year-old gelding has not started since he won a maiden race over hurdles at 1 15/16 miles and a maiden race over fences at 2 9/16 miles in his last two starts in New Zealand in a four-day span in September.

Paul Lally:

R1: 2-14-10-8

R2: 5-2-1-12

R3: 10-5-2-8

R4: 5-2-3-4

R5: 12-6-9-5

R6: 6-5-1-8

R7: 3-7-2-1

R8: 3-4-1-2

R9: 6-3-8-1

R10: 8-4-1-10

Best Bet R10 N8 Cordyceps Six

Longshot R5 N12 Handsome Twelve

Play R10 QQP 1-4-8

Tom Wood:

R1: 10-7-14–2

R2: 2-1-9-5

R3: 5-2-3-4

R4: 5-2-3-9

R5: 6-5-1-9

R6: 5-6-7-8

R7: 3-1-10-11

R8: 2-1-3-10

R9: 6-3-8-2

R10: 6-10-8-4

The Irishman was bred in New Zealand and began his racing career there before starting twice in Australia. Now he is a Hong Kong horse and with luck – he’ll need plenty breaking from post 14 – he can win the $1.54 million Hong Kong Classic Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin. 

The Hong Kong Classic Cup, run around one turn at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) is Hong Kong’s version of the Preakness, the second leg of the 4-year-old classic series that starts with the Hong Kong Classic Mile and ends with the 2,000-meter Hong Kong Derby. All three races are run at level weights.  

Nations Pride, scoring for the first time on turf, was an easy winner of the inaugural Jumeirah Derby on Friday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. 

Settled into a stalking position under James Doyle, Nations Pride overpowered his favored stablemate. New Kingdom. at the 300-meter mark and drew clear to a 3 1/2-length victory in this $200,000 race restricted to 3-year-olds. Sed Marib outlasted New Kingdom for second as New Kingdom failed to stay this 2,000-meter trip. 

From April to August of last year, Corbulo won four times in England at distances ranging from a mile at Bath Racecourse to 1 5/16 miles at Chester Racecourse.

The versatility could serve Corbulo well when he has his Australian debut in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Corbulo has not raced since he finished fourth by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap on the synthetic track at Lingfield Park near London in late August.

Get free DRF past performances for Saturday’s Saudi Cup card at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia. The eight-race card is highlighted by the Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race.

Among the leading contenders in this year’s Saudi Cup are defending race winner Mishriff and U.S. shippers Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon, Art Collector, and Country Grammer.

The Saudi Cup card kicks off at 7:45 a.m. Eastern, with the big race set for 12:35 p.m.

Ginobili, one of the better one-turn dirt horses in North America, won’t be able to start in the $1.5 million Riyadh Cup Sprint on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Trainer Richard Baltas, who remained in California, said Ginobili came out of his second gallop at King Abdulaziz Racecourse lame in his left front leg. 

“The main thing is the horse is okay. Preliminary X-rays were negative; his second set of X-rays is not completely clear yet. We got to get him back home and do a nuclear scan on him, I think,” Baltas said.

More than three months after her popular win in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia, Verry Ellegant will be favored to win a race of half that distance in Saturday’s Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

Verry Elleegant won the Chipping Norton last February as part of a campaign that led to her being named Australia’s 2020-21 Horse of the Year. The season ended at the end of July, so Verry Elleegant’s win in the Melbourne Cup puts her firmly in contention for the same award this season.