Sir Busker team opt for Turf goal at Saudi Cup fixture

Molly Hunter
February 6, 2023 4:38 pm

Knight seeking to sharpen start on Neom contender.

William Knight is hoping to sharpen Sir Busker’s stall speed ahead of his run in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia.

The seven-year-old holds an entry in the Riyadh Group Three run over an extended 10 furlongs on February 25.

The decision to run the gelding in the contest took some reaching, however, with Knight and connections also considering the Saudi Cup itself for a massive prize fund of over GBP 7million to the winner.

Ultimately the surface was the deciding factor as the Saudi Cup is run on dirt, a surface Sir Busker has not encountered before.

“We have talked long and hard about this, which one to go for? I promise you it has changed daily!” said Knight.

Sir Busker at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the jockeys about the dirt out there and taken advice from a few people. It’s a really hard one because it is such an amazing opportunity to run for that sort of money in the Saudi Cup.

“I just feel now that the trip will really suit him. We know he goes well on the turf, just looking at the entries for both races, I think we have a better chance of being in the first three in the Neom than we would on the dirt.”

A factor in the decision to stick to turf was Sir Busker’s slow exits from the stalls in recent starts, a habit Knight is aiming to improve but one that would leave him facing significant kickback were he to lose lengths at the start of a race run on dirt.

The trainer said: “He has been slowly away and though we are doing stalls work with him, if he does face the kickback on the dirt, he’ll have never really encountered that. As much as the money is very, very tempting, I think we’ve sided with the turf.

“We need to address it, I purposely hadn’t over the winter because I just thought it was something he had got into at the end of the season.

Sir Busker winning at Royal Ascot — Sir Busker (second from right) winning at Royal Ascot (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“His last couple of runs he was just slightly slowly away. I’m glad we ran him at Lingfield the other day, we just needed to blow the cobwebs out but you wouldn’t want that to happen at the meeting in the three weeks time.

“We’re going to address it this week – we’ve got (stalls specialist) Craig Witheford booked on Thursday to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Sir Busker finished second in the Listed Tandridge Stakes on Saturday, where he was partnered by Ryan Moore as horse and jockey got acquainted before heading to Saudi Arabia.

“Ryan will ride Sir Busker. Ben Curtis has done very well on him but we didn’t know if he was going to be back and riding fit in time for him, he’s out for a long time with a shoulder injury,” Knight explained.

“This is why Ryan rode him at Lingfield the other day, to get a feel of him because he’s never ridden him before and with a view to riding him in the Neom.”

Sir Busker's trainer William Knight at Royal Ascot — Sir Busker’s trainer William Knight at Royal Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

Sir Busker signed off last term with two runs Knight regards as career highlights, a victory in the Group Two York Stakes and a third place in the Group One Juddmonte at the same track.

Those performances are proof that he is only improving with age and Knight is hopeful that theme can continue into this season as he provides owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds with an experience many can only dream of.

“Having looked at the entries and what is going to run, he has got as good a chance as any of them,” he said.

“The owners have all got one 16th in him each and they know how lucky they are, they know that this is the horse of a lifetime.

“Everyone’s on a journey and it’s great. Some of the owners have had a bit of bad luck with other horses over the last few years and this has reignited it and that’s so important for everyone.

“He’s given everyone so much enjoyment and hopefully he can continue that through the season.”