admin DUBAI: Fourteen runners will compete for the $40,000 (SR150,000) Alhada Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif on Saturday, with Aez Alkhatir (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) seeking to improve on his runner-up performance in the Sarawat Cup on Saudi Cup weekend.
Not seen since that run on Feb. 13, the Homoud Alshamari-trained and Fahad Alfouraidi-ridden 3-year-old will be stepping back up to 1,400 meters, having won his previous start over that trip in Riyadh at the end of January.
The top-rated runner in the field goes up against six horses who clashed here two weeks ago in the Al-Hada Cup Prep Open. The winner Toufan Najd (KSA) again takes on the five who followed him home on that occasion: Ana Aljonubiyah (KSA), Azmaat (KSA), Samat Almuhamadih (KSA), Alfrindad (KSA) and Wayak (KSA).
Another notable runner is the Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s Nayaad (KSA) who is the winner of two of his four starts and was last seen battling to success in a conditions race earlier in the year.
Race nine on Saturday is a $32,000 Arabian Horses Open over 1,400 meters and sees Nirehazz (FR) and Angad Al-Khalediah (KSA) drop in grade after their final outing of last season when 10th and 12th respectively to the recently retired First Classs (US) in the Group 1 Obaiyah Arabian Classic.
Another former high-class performer is 8-year-old Dananeer Al-Khalediah (KSA), not seen on a track in Saudi Arabia in three years but winner of 14 domestic starts and seventh in the 2023 Obaiyah. She returns to action in race two, an Arabian Mares Open also over 1,400 meters.
Friday’s feature is the $32,000 AlShafa Cup Prep over 2,000 meters and Red Stable has a strong hand with Al-Abjar (Ireland), Moore’s Law (US) and Motafared (US), while the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz rely on last year’s Taif Derby third and UK Cup winner Faal Khair (US).
One unexposed runner in the field for trainer Abdullah Alsidrani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah is the Muhammad Aldaham-ridden Meblesh (IRE).
The runner was formerly trained in the UK by Richard Hughes and had four starts in Riyadh last season culminating with a third in round four of the International Jockeys’ Challenge under Flavien Prat.
American import Havildar (US) boasts a similar profile after just six domestic outings including a second to the highly-rated Thundersquall (Great Britain) in the Listed King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion.
