TAIF: Star names are on show for the penultimate meeting of the Taif racing season, and none are bigger than multiple Grade 1 winner Tilal AI-Khalediah (Saudi Arabia), who heads the field for the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup at King Khalid Racecourse.
The final two races on Friday both carry purses of $266,000 and are open to Purebred Arabian horses, with the Listed Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup over 2,000 meters and the Group 3 King Faisal Cup over the shorter 1,600 meters.
Tilal AI-Khalediah, trained by Nasser Mutlaq and ridden by Adel Alfouraidi, has twice shone on Saudi Cup night with victories in the 2023 Obaiyah Arabian Classic and in this year’s Group 1 renewal of that race.
He will make his first start since his second in Dubai’s Kahayla Classic last April.
The 15-time winner towers above his rivals with chief opponents appearing to be last week’s winner and former stablemate Turki Al-Khalediah II (Saudi Arabia) and the hattrick-seeking Bint Ghaliat Al-Khalediah (Saudi Arabia) — both trained by Mousa Almasaodi.
Almasaodi also holds strong claims in the Group 3 King Faisal Cup, restricted to 3-year-olds, as he sends out the top-rated filly Gista (France) who is unbeaten in two runs, and the mount of Fahad Alfouraidi takes on the reopposing Wshmih Alsraya (Saudi Arabia) under Abdullah Alsaedi.
Also in the lineup are the once-raced and unbeaten pair of Monsieur De Faust (France) and RB Next OF Kin (US) who will be ridden by Alfouraidi and Abdullah Alhussain respectively.
Friday’s main supporting event is the $18,660 Okaz Cup Sponsored by Boutique Group over 2,000 meters with many of the 13-strong field having done battle already this season.
Trainer Nicolas Bachalard’s pair of the Alexis Moreno-ridden Almurtajiz (US) and Tariq Almansour’s Henry Q (US) clashed on Aug. 1 with the latter coming out on top before being beaten later in the month, while Almurtajiz built on his eighth-place finish to land the Alashfa Cup.
The Abdullah Abdulaziz-trained Mr Trinket (Ireland) was third on that occasion but may have been in need of the run on his return to action. He boasts top-class form having been fourth to Rattle N Roll in The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ race, and third to Scotland Yard in the Tuwaiq Cup in Riyadh.
Thirteen will go to post in the Taif Cup Fillies Open Sponsored by Saudi National Bank including the storming near 14-length winner of the trial for this 1,600-meter event in the shape of the Aseel Alsarhani-ridden Deem (US).
The Fillies Mile runner from Saudi Cup weekend takes on a high-quality field including the third and fourth from that race — the White Stable’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons’ Fallat Kheir (Saudi Arabia) and the Thamer Aldaihani-trained Gharamy (Ireland).
Fifteen have been declared for the colts and geldings equivalent, the Taif Cup Open Sponsored by NHC, with the Aldaihani pair of Saudi Derby third Mhally (Great Britain) and Mhalhal (US) setting a decent standard, but they were held last time out by the White Stable’s Jeddah Beach (US) in the Taif Derby.
The White Stable team also send out a fascinating contender in Zend (US) who will have the assistance of Camilo Ospina after making a striking impression when winning his only start in maiden company over 1,400 meters.
Ospina also appears to have good claims in the Taif Cup Local Bred Fillies Open Sponsored by ZOOD Realty over 1,400 meters for juveniles as he rides Taqaarir (Saudi Arabia) who is unbeaten in two starts and won recently by over 10 lengths.
And in the Taif Cup Local Bred Open Sponsored by Lucid for the males he is again onboard Aatakum (Saudi Arabia) after they won for the White Stable last month. And they take on Hziz (Saudi Arabia) who was also a first-start winner and has since been purchased by Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz.
Saturday’s feature is the marathon $133,000 2,400-meter National Day Cup which has assembled a cast of 12 topped by recent course-and-distance winner Jack Red Cloud (Ireland) for Prince Faisal’s Red Stable, who also send out Mashmookh (Saudi Arabia) and Mon Choix (Great Britain).
