First Mission handed G3 Razorback Handicap assignment

First Mission bids to emulate Mystic Guide with victory in the G3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, USA, on Sunday, 23 February.

Mystic Guide scored by six lengths in the 2021 renewal of the extended-mile contest before going on to a famous success in the G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline on his next start.

First Mission has already enjoyed success at Oaklawn Park, with the Brad Cox-trained entire having bounced back from a below-par effort in last season’s G1 Pegasus World Cup by easily winning the G3 Essex Handicap.

An equally dominant victor of the G2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs in May, First Mission went on to finish fourth in the same course’s G1 Stephen Foster Stakes.

The son of Street Sense makes his first start since failing to run his race on a muddy track in August’s G1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “First Mission had a good break after his poor performance in the Whitney last August and has been training very well for his five-year-old debut. Brad has been very happy with him and he appears to be on top of his game. It’s a competitive field with several Grades Stakes winners and some hard-knocking older horses, so he will have to have his game face on.

“He won well at Oaklawn last year with Florent Geroux in the saddle and they are reunited again here. We are very optimistic that he will run well and hopefully keep his Oaklawn record intact so he can go onto bigger goals in the spring.”