The emotion was written across Camilo Ospina’s face as he embraced his colleagues at King Khalid Racecourse this week. Ten weeks of relentless effort in the Taif Winter Season have left the Colombian rider on the brink of an emphatic title triumph, his 20 winners putting him seven clear of any challenger ahead of Saturday’s finale.
Though Ospina will not line up in the closing event of the campaign, the championship is already his to savour. The moment felt less like a cold statistical victory and more like a rider earning the respect of fans and fellow horsemen alike. The season that began in fierce competition is ending with one man’s quiet but commanding dominance.
Spotlight on the King Khalid Racecourse Championship
The SAR 300,000 King Khalid Racecourse Championship for older horses over 1600m headlines Saturday’s action and brings the Taif season to a close before the Riyadh fixtures begin on October 16. Among the 17 contenders, Adel Alfouraidi’s Waqtuk (USA) is the top-rated entry, chasing a third straight victory after wins earlier this month, including the Championship Prep against familiar rivals Final Destination (GB) and Ibn Toulon (KSA).
Trainer Thamer Aldaihani adds intrigue with both Final Destination and Uncle (GB), running in the colours of Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, while the powerful Red Stable team of Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz fields four, led by the returning Salfan (KSA).
Fillies, Mares, and Ospina’s Key Ride
Nine fillies and mares will clash over 1400m in their own SAR 300,000 championship contest. Ospina partners the standout Aeadat (KSA) for the White Stables of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz & Sons. The six-year-old mare has not been defeated since March last year, riding a wave of nine consecutive victories into this weekend. A 10th would underline her status as one of the most consistent performers in Saudi racing.
Her stablemate Halaa (USA), guided by Alfouraidi, promises the sternest challenge. Halaa was fourth in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint at February’s Saudi Cup meeting and finished runner-up in her only start this term on July 26, with Ospina himself aboard.
Arabian Stars and More Championships
The Purebred Arabian Championship, also worth SAR 300,000, is expected to showcase the talents of Mutwakel Alkhalediah (KSA). Trained by Nasser Mutlaq, the horse has not been seen since August 2023 but brings strong credentials. That lengthy layoff introduces understandable uncertainty, prompting horsemen to question whether proven class can outweigh race-sharp rivals here on Saturday. Yet recent form leans towards Turki Al Khalediah II (KSA), the September 12 winner under Fahad Alfouraidi, who again renews rivalry.
Ospina’s chances extend beyond the feature races. He partners Kanzie (USA), an unbeaten White Stables runner, in the SAR 150,000 JCSA Challenge. The colt aims for a third straight victory against competition that includes Newtown Runner (USA), Taif Sprint Cup hero, now stepping back up to 1600m for Red Stables and jockey Nawaf Almudiani.
Sprint Specialists Poised for Closing Night
Friday’s undercard will deliver a trio of SAR 300,000 sprints over 1200m. The finale, restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings, pits Aldaihani’s dual winner Fouj (USA) against Riyadh Central (USA), Alexis Moreno’s mount, whose juvenile exploits marked him as one to follow.
Kawafill (KSA) adds intrigue to the fillies’ sprint with her recent form over 1200m, while Moreno’s Baseqm And Bake (USA), victorious in the Sprint Championship Prep, looms as a leading chance in the Purebred Arabian contest.
As the curtain falls on Taif’s season, the atmosphere will celebrate not only champions on the track but also Ospina’s assured grasp of the jockeys’ crown—a reward for consistency, precision, and sheer willpower.
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