Emaraaty Ana set to run for new owner and jockey in Middle Park mission

Gimcrack winner Emaraaty Ana will carry new silks and have a new jockey on board on Saturday when he bids to lower the formidable colours of Ten Sovereigns in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The Kevin Ryan-trained colt, winner of two of his three starts, has been purchased by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and the owner's retained rider Andrea Atzeni will take over from Frankie Dettori, who was in the saddle at York for previous owner Ahmad Abdulla Al Shaikh.

Watch Emaraaty Ana's Gimcrack win

Ryan said on Monday that Emaraaty Ana is remaining in his yard for an owner whose 54 runners in Britain to date in 2018 have all been for the Newmarket stables of Roger Varian and Simon Crisford.

"This will be my first runner for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid," said the North Yorkshire trainer. "He rang me up to say he would be staying with me.

"I’ve met him a few times before and it’s great to have his colours in the yard and to retain the horse."

Derby winner High-Rise is the best-known horse to have carried the familiar yellow and black silks of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, while more recently Postponed, winner of the 2015 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Defoe have put the owner's name in lights.

Ryan, whose colt is a general 9-1 shot for Saturday's Group 1 clash, said: "Emaraaty Ana is in good form at home. It was always the plan after York to go for the Middle Park and we're looking forward to it.

"Andrea will ride him. He's the owner's jockey, so he'll take over on him. He's a very uncomplicated horse."

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Ten Sovereigns, unbeaten in two runs and mightily impressive in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes last time, is 8-11 for the Middle Park and will be a tough nut to crack, but this year's juvenile crop has plenty of strength in depth and Ryan believes his runner's form stacks up well.

He added: “I don’t need to see the form book to know how good a horse he is. I've held him in the highest regard from a very early stage and he's never let us down.

“The Gimcrack-Middle Park double is something I've pulled off before [with Amadeus Wolf in 2005 and Astaire in 2013] and it just seemed the right way to go.

“I don’t like to compare horses from different generations. Amadeus Wolf and Astaire were both very good horses in their own right, as is this fellow. The Middle Park is a prestigious race and I feel lucky to have horses good enough to take part.

“I don’t foresee the undulations of the Rowley Mile being a problem for Emaraaty Ana. This will be his last run of the year and he'll be much bigger and stronger next season.”

Crisford, who saddled Ostilio to win the Britannia at Royal Ascot in June for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, supplies the second favourite for the Middle Park in 9-2 chance Jash, who like Ten Sovereigns has won both starts.

Advertise: notable absentee from the Middle Park confirmationsCredit: Patrick McCann

Phoenix Stakes winner Advertise, from the Martyn Meade stable, looks bound for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes next month having been taken out of the Middle Park on Monday.

In the other major contest for colts at Newmarket on Saturday, the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes, Chesham winner Arthur Kitt, who was second to Too Darn Hot in the Solario Stakes last time, has been supplemented at a cost of £10,000.

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