Cromwell to bide his time with Princess Yaiza

Keith Hamer
February 13, 2020 5:30 pm

Turf campaign on the agenda following Dundalk return.

Princess Yaiza is to wait for a turf campaign after failing to get an invitation to the Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh at the end of the month.

The daughter of Casamento enjoyed an excellent campaign in 2018, running some fine races in defeat before claiming Group Two honours in the Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.

Her ninth place in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf was due to be her final outing for Irish-based Gavin Cromwell, with her American owners opting to keep her in the US with leading trainer Christophe Clement.

However, having failed to make the racecourse since the 2018 Breeders’ Cup, she returned to County Meath late last year – and made a satisfactory comeback on the racecourse when runner-up to the Ado McGuinness-trained Bowerman at Dundalk last month.

Cromwell had been considering sending her on her travels again for the Neom Turf Cup – a $1million contest on the undercard of the inaugural Saudi Cup on February 29 – but those plans have now been shelved.

“That run was supposed to be a prep run to go for that big handicap in Saudi Arabia, but unfortunately she didn’t get an invitation for there, so that’s been knocked on the head,” said Cromwell.

“She’s good. We’ve no immediate plans. We’ll basically be waiting for the turf season now. I’ve got a few different options, but no definite plans.”