Riyadh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The world is a much different place 12 months on from the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting when the full horror of the Coronavirus crisis was only beginning to become apparent. So many of racing's key events have been disrupted since then and, with many countries still in lockdown or under severe travel restrictions, it is no small wonder that this year's meeting is able to proceed, even though the attendance will be markedly reduced from last year. Eschewing the obvious travel complications, a posse of 27 European-trained horses...

Jane Chapple-Hyam's Albadri (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) will take part in the $1.5-million Saudi Derby on the $20-million Saudi Cup undercard on Feb. 20. A winner on debut, the bay colt raced exclusively in stakes company in his next four starts, with his best finish a fifth in the G3 Tattersalls S. in September. His final 2020 appearance was a sixth in the G3 Horris Hill S. two starts later on Oct. 24. In his latest run, he handled the Southwell synthetic well and saluted by a length in a...

Jockey Frankie Dettori will ride Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) in the Red Sea Turf H. at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 20. A three-time placer in the G1 Melbourne Cup, the Charlie Fellowes trainee is doing well in advance of the $2.5-milllion contest. In his latest start, the gelding was third at Kempton in a two-mile synthetic affair on Feb. 6. "He's in good nick and I'm looking forward to seeing him out there, hopefully the journey goes well," Fellowes told ITV Racing. "We've got...

Trainer Ado McGuinness is sending Shamrock Thoroughbreds' Harry's Bar (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) to the $1.5-million Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the $20-million Saudi Cup undercard on Feb. 20. A 75,000gns purchase out of the Tattersalls HIT Sale last October, the 6-year-old gelding saluted in the Listed Belgrave S. on Nov. 6 and took a six-panel contest on Feb. 5, both over the Dundalk synthetic. "He's in great form," said McGuinness. "He's come back 100% from his last race, he's cantering away and he's heading out to...

Jockey Hollie Doyle, who celebrated her first Group 1 winner in 2020, will take part in the STC International Jockeys' Challenge in Saudia Arabia later this month. The Feb. 19 contest features 14 jockeys at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, with Doyle also booked on MGSW Extra Elusive (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) for trainer Roger Charlton in the $20-million Saudi Cup the next day. "I'm really excited to be riding in Saudi," said Doyle, who also rode her first winner at Royal Ascot last term and competed in the Hong Kong International Jockeys'...

William Buick and Shane Foley are two of the jockeys that will take part in the second STC International Jockeys' Challenge at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 19. The second $20-million Saudi Cup, part of the $30.5 million Saudi Cup card, is set for Feb. 20. "My first time riding in Saudi was around 12 years ago, I've been in and out since then," said Buick, who rode in the original turf trials at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in January of 2020. "Last year I came over for the turf...

King Abdulaziz Racetrack in the Saudi capital of Riyadh plays host to the $266,667 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (King's Cup) Saturday afternoon, a 10-furlong affair that will produce a handful of runners for the second running of the $20-million Saudi Cup in three weeks' time. Scars Are Cool (Malibu Moon) won three of his 13 starts in the colors of Sagamore Farm and fetched $175,000 from Saudi Arabian interests during the Horses of Racing Age section of the Fasig-Tipton July Sale last summer. The Florida-bred was well-beaten...

Group 1 winner Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) is likely for the six-furlong Riyadh Dirt Sprint instead of the 1351 Turf Sprint at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 20. A winner of the G3 Abernant S. last June, the bay gelding added the G1 July Cup at Newmarket one month later. After undergoing wind surgery, Oxted resumed with a fifth in the Oct. 17 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. "At the moment we are favouring the dirt really because it's six furlongs," said trainer Roger Teal, whose son Harry will...

Grade I-winning jockey Kazushi Kimura, who was named the 2019 Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, will spend the winter of 2020/21 riding primarily for Prince Sultan bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia, he confirmed to the TDN on Sunday. "Yes," Kimura told the TDN regarding his Saudi Arabian posting. "I'm gonna ride in Saudi Arabia until the middle of March, then I will be back to Woodbine before the opening day." Kimura, who was also Canada's Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2018, celebrated four graded winners in 2020 led by...

When Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, unveiled his plans for the world's richest horse race last summer in Saratoga, I duly covered the event for TDN. But it wasn't until months later that the idea started percolating in my head that maybe I would actually go see the race for myself. As a kid from New Jersey who loves to travel the world and grew up reading Black Stallion novels, there is something almost mystical about Saudi Arabia--a country that seemed as...

Trainer George Baker plundered a significant international prize a fortnight ago when his Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) took the feature event at Switzerland's St. Moritz White Turf meeting, the Longines 81st Grosser Preis von St Moritz, and the Surrey-based trainer looks to double up with Graignes (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the $1-million stc 1351 Cup at Riyadh on Saturday. "We pulled off the first half of the February double up that mountain and I can't wait to see if we can pull off the second half in Saudi Arabia," Baker...

Godolphin's Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) will break from the rail in his attempt to add yet another rich international prize to his roll of honor in Saturday's $2.5-million Longines Turf H. at Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. The 3000 metre event is the richest of the three turf contests on the Saudi Cup card. Cross Counter has over £3.5-million in the bank and looks to build on his victories in the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup and 2019 G2 Dubai Gold Cup while making his first start since...