Saudi Cup Profile: Mjjack

Saudi Cup Odds, Contenders, and Post Positions

By Margaret Ransom

Credit: Riyadh King Abdulaziz Racetrack – Photo courtesy of Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.

Bred in Ireland, purchased for about $350,000 nearly 18 months ago, the “home team” has a chance to win its own $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Race Course with the longest shot in a field of global stars.

Mjjack, now owned by Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz, is moving way, way up in class when taking on champions Maximum Security and Midnight Bisou, as well as trainer Bob Baffert’s McKinzie and Mucho Gusto.

In his previous race, Mjjack won a local stakes called the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup on Feb. 8, earning an invite to the world’s richest race.

By most accounts Mjjack is quite a wagering risk – 50-1 by usracing.com. However, let’s not forget this nearly-white 6-year-old has won over this track at the Saudi Cup distance of 1 1/8 miles, and is trained here by Sami Al Harabi.

Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, our mystery horse was an average performer in England and Ireland on the turf. But the switch to dirt has turned him into a contender over this track, or so it appears.

Mjjack will have regular rider Abdul Alawfi aboard, but drawing the outside No. 14 post may not work out well.

“I wanted the inside not the outside,’’ Harabi said. “My horse never runs from an outside gate, but it’s a new adventure and a big race, so we have to take it either way.”

Mjjack

Trainer: Sami Al Harabi

Jockey: Abdul Alawfi

Owner: Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz

Post position: No. 14

Odds: 50-1

Career record: 26-10-3-3

Career earnings: $361,821

Pedigree: Elzaam—Docklands Grace, by Honour and Glory

Age: 6

Running style: Mid-pack

Notes: Mjjack will be making his 27th career start, and is 3-for-3 already this year … He was bred in Ireland by Derrymore House Syndicate and is out of the Kentucky-bred Honour and Glory mare Docklands Grace, who raced exclusively in England … sire Elzaam was a stakes winner in Europe and campaigned by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum.