Somewhat of a forgotten horse this season, the leading Group One winner Mishriff is said to be going well at home ahead of his first UK run of the season next month in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown.
The five year old exceeded expectations as a three year old being unbeaten on all three of his first three starts, starting in the Listed Newmarket Stakes where he saw off his highly touted stablemate Waldkonig.
He then stepped up to the French Derby at Chantilly and he landed the event in fine style, pulling away from a talented field to take the first Group One of his career.
Gosden went with the approach that if its not broke, don't fix it and he sent him back to France for the Group Two Prix Guillaume daEUR and although only a small field took to post, he landed the spoils nicely.
Having swerved the Arc, the colt was in flying form and headed for the Champion Stakes at Ascot for his final run of that season but unfortunately ran no sort of race and was outclassed on the day.
However, having been given a break and fine tuned for his run in the Saudi Cup he stayed on best of the rest in the final stages to see off American challenger Charlatan to land the second renewal of the race.
His international exploits didn't stop there and next time out he was seen landing the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic in the final strides at Meydan to cap off a superb few months in Asia.
The son of Make Believe was given a break and returned in last year's Coral Eclipse and was outclassed by both St Mark's Basilica and Addeybb.
What a performance!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 18, 2021
Mishriff finally grabs his domestic Group 1 and is all class in the £1m Juddmonte International for @DavidEgan99 and John and Thady Gosden 👏 @yorkracecourse @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/ltXZA9EuNl
However, he seemed to need the run that day and it bought him on a fair bit next time out when chasing home Derby winner Adayar in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Now in peak condition he gave one of the performances of his career when bolting up in the Juddmonte International, seeing off Alenquer by six lengths eased down.
Seen twice more since then when fourth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and last of 14 when trying to retain his Saudi Cup title, he has been off the track since then.
(Credit ATR) “Mishriff will go to the Eclipse, he was on the Cambridge Road for a blow-out today and was on the July Course on Saturday with Rab Havlin and David Egan rode him today. Both of those went quite well,” said Ted Voute, racing manager to owner Prince Faisal.
“I think he might be going in as something of a forgotten horse, but I quite like that as it kind of takes the pressure off.
“John is in form with his horses and if he can get him back to where he was in last year’s Juddmonte then he should be there or thereabouts, with any luck.
“As John proved with Nashwa at the weekend bringing her back to win a Classic 16 days after her previous run, there’s nobody better at doing it.
“I’d say the Eclipse and the Juddmonte are the two major aims for him.”