Saudi Cup

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—At the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting 12 months ago, the International Jockeys' Challenge broke new ground in allowing female jockeys to compete against their male counterparts. Hollie Doyle will notch another milestone on Saturday when she becomes the first female to ride in the Saudi Cup aboard Extra Elusive (GB), fulfilling her obligation as the retained rider for Arab owner Imad Al Sagar. That spirit of inclusivity has been extended further this year by the introduction of the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi International Handicap. Run over 2,100 metres...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—A number of trainers with horses engaged in Saturday's Saudi Cup have been unable to travel but their horses and exercise riders have shipped in, mostly over last weekend, for the second running of the $20 million contest at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. The 14-strong field includes two locally-trained horses, Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}) and Alzahzaah (KSA) (Worldly), who face competition from Britain, Japan and Bahrain as well as five runners from the United States. For most of the American contingent, stronger work had taken place on the...

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 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...

Coming off a dominant win in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Knicks Go (Paynter) is scheduled to make his next start in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 in Riyadh. "As long as he breezes well this weekend, we're going to the Saudi Cup," trainer Brad Cox said. "We plan to ship him out Monday [Feb. 8]." Cox said the decision became easier when it became clear that Knicks Go came out of the Pegasus in perfect shape. "The owners [the Korea Racing Authority] would like to...

The silks of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms were already set to be carried aboard US raider Tacitus (Tapit) in the $20-million Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) Feb. 20, and the breeding operation will also be represented by Derevo (GB) (Dansili {GB}), after the former Sir Michael Stoute galloper arrived in the nick of time to take out the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (2000m, dirt) Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. The 340,000gns Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training acquisition just touched off the commonly owned...

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...

French Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who ran second in the 2020 Saudi Derby in Riyadh on Feb. 29, needs a wide draw in the Feb. 20 $20-million Saudi Cup according to trainer John Gosden. The colt rebounded with a win in the Listed Newmarket S. on June 6 and won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on July 5. His final win of the year was a victory in the G2 Prix Guillaume de Ornano at Deauville on Aug. 15 before an eighth in the G1...

A year ago, a brigade of American runners dominated results in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, taking four of the top five placings in the world's richest race. Another top-level group of U.S.-based horses are set to return to Riyadh for the second running of the 1 1/8-miles race Feb. 20. Leading the group is Charlatan (Speightstown), who returned from a layoff to record a scintillating victory in the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S. last month. The newly turned 4-year-old worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 (1/5) at...

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...