Mishriff to Run in the Breeders’ Cup Despite the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Upset
The Breeders’ Cup is just around the corner. One of the most popular horse racing events in the world, the World Championship includes over a dozen Grade I Thoroughbred races. For most of the history of the event, the races have been held in the United States of America, with a small exception in the mid-90s, when it was held in Canada for a year.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championship is one of the biggest events, not just in the horse racing world, but in the sports and betting worlds in general. While wagering on the Breeders’ Cup is not as popular as betting on the Cheltenham November Meeting, the popularity of the event continues to grow.
The prestigious nature of the event is a huge draw, as fans get to see some of the best-know, and best-regarded horses compete in the event. Among the horses that will be racing this year is Mishriff, and Irish-bred and British-trained thoroughbred, who has reached the top class on quite a few years.
Mishriff’s Participation is a Shock
For those who do not follow the sport thoroughly, reading about Mishriff’s past glories might lead you to believe that there is no reason for shock at the horse’s participation. However, the thoroughbred has had a hell of a year. Mishriff has not had a single win this season. Though he hasn’t performed poorly, arriving in second place on quite a few occasions, many expected more out of the colt.
His performance was especially disappointing during the French Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe race, which was held on Sunday, 2 October. Mischriff finished down the field, much to the disappointment of many of his and his jockey’s fans. Still, it would seem the old boy has one last hurrah, as he is going to be competing at the Breeders’ Cup. The colt and his jockey will have to make a break for it right from the start if they want to have any chance of attaining Mishriff’s former glory.
Mishriff’s Successes in 2022
As we said, the 5-year-old horse has not had huge success in 2022. He completely failed to score a single win throughout the year. However, the season was not a total flop. Mishriff did manage to place second in the Eclipse, as well as in the International. During the King George race the Irish-bred placed in third, which is quite an impressive feat. His last big achievement of the season was scoring the fourth spot in the Irish Champion Stakes race.
Mishriff at the Prix
It was Mishriff’s performance at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe that had many worries about the horse. What once was one of the top-class thoroughbred race horses showed a spectacularly underwhelming performance at the Prix. Out of the 20 competing horses, Mishriff crossed the finish line 13th, barely avoiding the bottom 5. Apart from this lackluster performance, Mishriff also has not won a single notable race this season. It is precisely for this reason that many were shocked to find out that the colt will be racing at the Breeders’ Cup.
Heading Towards the Breeders’ Cup
After his performance in the Prix, many believed that Mishriff was out of the game entirely. However, it was announced a week later that the British-trained colt will be taking to the tracks of the November Breeders’ Cup World Championship. Bookies do not have much faith in the horse’s success, and even some of his loyal fans have lost the will to defend him.
However, Mishriff is still one of the top-class horses of his time. And who knows, the thoroughbred colt could make his own fairy tale, similar to the one by Boyd Exell, who recently made history in Pratoni. So, despite the failings, Mishriff’s saddle is strapped, his jockey is at the ready, and the horse is going for one last hurrah. What happens remains to be seen, but at the very least, there are plenty of people whose hopes are high.
Some Final Thoughts
Mishriff is taking to the tracks. Following a lackluster year on the tracks, the Irish-bred colt’s future at the Breeders’ Cup World Championship did not seem very bright. However, it seems that the horse will be racing at the big event, despite his underwhelming performance at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Fans of Mishriff are awaiting with baited breath, and are maintaining a degree of what can only be described as “cautious hope”.
