Top-class Thundersquall will make a much-anticipated return to action at King Khalid Racecourse on Saturday, taking on 17 rivals in the SAR150,000 Alshafa Cup over 2000m.The seven-year-old has not raced since finishing 11th behind Forever Young in The Saudi Cup last February, but the return to Taif provides a familiar setting for the Dubawi gelding. Danny Tudhope partnered Thundersquall in Riyadh, while Adel Alfouraidi will take over this weekend as the pair renew their partnership after winning the Listed King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion in January.
Alshafa Cup Feature
The outing will also mark Thundersquall’s first appearance at Taif since September 2024, when a course-and-distance handicap success provided a reminder of the horse’s ability around the track. His return now comes against a deep field, with several established runners bringing strong recent form into the 2000m contest.
Faal Khair heads the challenge from the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. The American-bred runner made a winning return in the Alshafa Cup Prep earlier this month, leaving several of Saturday’s opponents behind. That success followed a victory in Riyadh in the UK Cup on the final outing of last season, giving Faal Khair the opportunity to complete a hat-trick of wins.
The Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz will be represented by Alaham, El Jabartee and Wootton’sun, adding further depth to an already competitive field. Meblesh, owned by Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah and trained by Abdullah Alsidrani, will also line up after finishing ninth in the Alshafa Cup Prep.
The eighth race on Saturday will bring the SAR150,000 Fillies And Mare Cup, a 1600m contest restricted to locally bred runners. Aeadat will be one of the principal names to follow after returning with a victory on August 1.
The six-year-old has put together an impressive sequence in recent seasons, winning 10 consecutive starts before being beaten in Riyadh last November. The latest success marked a welcome return to winning form, and Aeadat will now attempt to build on that performance for the White Stable.
White Stable will also field Nowafaa, another multiple winner, while Misaaeel represents Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah following a recent second-place finish.
The Arabian programme will provide another substantial test, with 18 runners declared for the SAR120,000 Sprint Championship Prep over the sprint distance. Jade De Faust and Baseq And Bake renew their rivalry after finishing first and second in a conditions race four weeks ago, while Saloum Al Khalediah arrives in search of another success after winning last month.
The King Khalid Racecourse Championship Prep Arabian Horses will also feature a full field, with Saloum Al Khalediah among the recent winners adding interest to the contest.
Friday’s principal event will be the SAR150,000 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep Arabian Horses over 2000m, where Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah stands out as one of the most accomplished runners in the field.
Trained by Mohammed Alnafjan, the eight-year-old finished second to the highly regarded Tilal AI Khalediah over the same course and distance last September. Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah has not raced since finishing down the field in the Group 1 Al Mneefah Cup during The Saudi Cup weekend, making Friday’s return an important test.
Across the two days, the King Khalid Racecourse programme brings together proven performers, returning contenders and several horses arriving with recent winning form. For Thundersquall, however, Saturday’s Alshafa Cup will carry particular interest as the seven-year-old returns to Taif and reunites with Alfouraidi in a race that promises to provide a searching test over 2000m.
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