King Khalid Racecourse in Taif will bring its ten-week programme to a close this weekend, with a strong two-day card featuring two Group 3 contests worth SAR1,000,000 each and Saturday’s National Day Cup.
The SAR450,000 National Day Cup over 2400m will see Faal Khair return to the distance for only the second time in a career that has so far included a trial victory on August 7 and a fourth-place finish in the Alshfa Cup. Fawaz Alshammari will take the mount as the White Stable runner looks to regain the form shown earlier in the campaign.
Faal Khair will face eight rivals, including El Jabartee, who represents the Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz. El Jabartee finished second in the Alshfa Cup on the only start of the season, while Sourdough, third in Faal Khair’s August trial, has since followed up with a victory in handicap company.
King Khalid Racecourse prepares for two major Arabian contests
Friday’s principal race will be the Group 3 King Faisal Cup for three-year-old Purebred Arabian horses over 1600m. Sahab Alriyadh arrives unbeaten this season and will be seeking a third Taif victory after two wins, including a dominant success last time when the margin was close to 11 lengths.
A full field has been declared for the King Faisal Cup, while 16 runners will line up in the Group 3 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup over 2000m for older Purebred Arabians.
Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah, ridden by Fahad Alfouraidi, heads the field on rating and arrives after a seven-length victory in the trial for this race last month. The eight-year-old will face the younger Hnof Athbah, who remains relatively lightly raced and will be partnered by Alex Moreno.
Friday will also feature three divisions of the Taif Cup, with two races reserved for juveniles. The principal division will be the SAR450,000 contest for three-year-old colts and geldings over 1600m.
Tuwajeri, trained for Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, will be among 18 runners. The Taif Derby winner has won five of 10 starts and was sixth in the Saudi Derby. The field also includes Yaltahem, who finished second in that race, along with several other runners from the same contest.
Aesaa Kheir will add further interest after progressing through four consecutive victories since finishing second on debut at Riyadh last November. The runner made a winning Taif debut two weeks ago in a conditions race and will now step into a stronger field.
Saturday’s programme will feature three divisions of the SAR250,000 King Khalid Racecourse Championship. In the older horses’ 1600m contest, Final Destination, runner-up in the Tuwaiq Cup, will meet Power In Numbers, a classy representative of the White Stable.
The King Khalid Racecourse Championship for Arabian Horses will also attract 16 runners. Trial winner Mutwakel Alkhalediah heads the field and will face Foo De Pine, who will be seeking a return to winning form after finishing fifth at Taif on last week’s return to competition.
With major races spread across Friday and Saturday, the final weekend at the Taif venue will bring together established performers, rising three-year-olds and a strong group of Purebred Arabians. The Taif season will conclude with a programme offering plenty of variety across distances and age groups.
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