King Khalid Racecourse in Taif will take centre stage on Friday as Saudi Arabia’s racing community begins a 10-week summer season featuring a series of important contests and preparation events leading towards the National Cup Raceday in September.
Two meetings are scheduled every week on Fridays and Saturdays until the end of September, with the season building towards a strong closing programme on the final Saturday of the month. The extended calendar will feature several major events, including the SAR450,000 National Day Cup on September 26 and the upgraded Group 3 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup on September 25, alongside the various divisions of the Taif Cup.
Taif racing season 2026.
The fixture list also includes the Sprint Championships on September 18, while the Taif Derby and Arabian Derby will take place on August 22, adding further depth to a summer programme designed to showcase both Thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian talent.
Source : Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
The opening weekend already promises competitive action, with Saturday’s feature Taif Flower Festival Cup preparation race attracting 15 three-year-olds over 1600 metres. Among the leading contenders is Muqtahem (IRE), owned by Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, trained by Abdullah Alsidrani and ridden by Muhammad Aldaham.
Muqtahem arrives with a strong record after a breakthrough campaign last season, when the five-year-old recorded five consecutive victories. The runner also produced a notable performance on Saudi Cup night, finishing third in the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint after previously securing second place in the same event a year earlier.
The same weekend will also feature a 1200-metre Open contest worth SAR120,000, where Muqtahem’s stablemate Transferred (IRE) is among the runners. Trainer Abdullah Alsidrani will also be represented by Malyan (GB) in the sprint event, adding further strength to the stable’s presence.
Another important preparation race, the SAR120,000 Um Alqura Cup Prep over 1200 metres, features Dance Desire (GB), who holds a strong position in the fillies and mares’ division. The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons-owned Kondra (FR), trained by the White Stable, is expected to provide a strong challenge in the same event.
Purebred Arabian talent will also return to action, with Jade De Faust, a ninth-place finisher in the Group 1 Al Mneefah Cup on Saudi Cup night, making her comeback in an Arabian Mares’ Open over 1200 metres against 14 opponents.
Friday’s supporting programme includes several preparation races, with the Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz sending runners in both the JCSA Almaseef Cup Prep and the Shubra Cup Prep Open. Harbi (KSA), among the highest-rated runners in the latter event, adds further interest to the card.
The Alsabah, Alsidrani and Aldaham combination will also be represented by Garamy (IRE) in the Fillies’ Open. The four-year-old last competed in the Tuwaiq Cup and had earlier finished second behind Dance Desire in the domestic Group 3 Japan’s Cup.
Alongside the racing schedule, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has introduced a revised points system for the Owners, Trainers, Jockeys and Horses Championship. The updated structure will consider race classifications and performance quality, with points awarded according to victories and achievements in higher-ranked contests.
The new system is expected to provide a season-long measure of consistency as horses, trainers, jockeys and owners compete across the Taif calendar. With a mix of established performers and emerging talent, the Taif racing season is set to provide several significant moments before its September finale.
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