Elite pair to represent international master Mott on Saudi Cup night

RIYADH: Considering Bill Mott’s career, it goes without saying that one must take his world-stage contenders seriously — and serious contenders are exactly what the iconic conditioner has at this year’s Saudi Cup meeting.

Mott won the first major international Flat race in the Middle East — the 1996 Dubai World Cup with Cigar — and has captured 12 Breeders’ Cups since.

Fresh off a victory with Saudi Cup alumnus Art Collector in last month’s Pegasus World Cup, Mott seeks more big race glory with Juddmonte’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power (USA) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable’s Casa Creed (USA) – leading chances in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Sports Boulevard and the 1351 Turf Sprint presented by stc respectively.

Mott’s right-hand man accompanying his international travels over the past few years has been assistant trainer and exercise rider Neil Poznansky, who was aboard for the final serious workouts on Tuesday morning at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Having arrived on Friday with a couple of days on the track to acclimatize, the pair appeared comfortable in their 600m blowout breezes down the stretch.

“Elite Power seemed to handle it really well,” Poznansky said. “He’s training exceptionally well. Elite Power wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think he could win. He seemed to like the track in the breeze — I got him in about 38 (seconds) — so hopefully that transfers into his race.

“He is a big, strong animal who just loves running. He can be pretty active in his training, where Casa Creed is an old professional, but both were perfect today and both did all their prep work well back at Payson Park in Florida.”

Three-time Grade 1 winner Casa Creed completed his maintenance work under Poznansky with