'The prize-money is huge' - Karl Burke heading to Saudi Arabia with stable stars

Trainer Karl Burke is planning an audacious tilt at the world's most valuable race meeting in Saudi Arabia in the new year with Qipco 2,000 Guineas contender Holloway Boy and progressive three-year-old Al Qareem.

The two-day Saudi Cup meeting is staged at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh on February 24-25 and Burke is eyeing the $1.5 million Saudi Derby on dirt for Chesham Stakes winner Holloway Boy on the second day.

The Middleham trainer said: “It was always in my mind to give Holloway Boy a prep run before the 2,000 Guineas. If we go out to the Saudi Derby it still gives us the guts of two months into the Guineas.

"Timing-wise it’s ideal and the prize-money is huge. As long as he’s fit and well at the end of January I would imagine that’s where we’ll go.”

He added: “He has a lot of ability – he showed that again in the Vertem Futurity at Doncaster when he probably should have been second. The winner Auguste Rodin is obviously a very useful horse.”

Holloway Boy: Saudi Derby tilt on radarCredit: Ryan Pierse (Getty Images)

Burke is confident the dirt surface will not be a problem for the son of Ulysses.

He said: “I went out there for the big meeting earlier this year. The jockeys reported the dirt track was very horse-friendly compared to some others.

"The kickback wasn’t as severe, so it helped put it in our minds to give Holloway Boy a chance around there.

"I wouldn’t be keen to run him on ‘normal’ dirt, but from what I saw myself and listening to the jockeys it’s a very kind surface in Saudi."

The stayer Al Qareem progressed from a handicapper to a Group performer this year, culminating with a win in the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay at Longchamp in October, and he is set to run in the Group 3 Red Sea Turf Handicap on February 25, which has a purse of $2.5m.

Burke said of the three-year-old: “It’s huge money and a horse like Al Qareem would go there with a chance.

"If he couldn’t win he’d have a chance of picking up some big place money. He’s come back in and he’s cantering away steady at the moment.

"We’ll pick his work up now to Christmas and he’ll work through January. If he’s in good shape at the end of January, we’ll aim him at the Red Sea."

The Group 1 Saudi Cup, run over just shy of nine furlongs, is the feature contest of the meeting. Worth $20m, it is the richest race in the world and was won last year by the locally trained Emblem Road.

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