Racing returns this weekend to Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Racecourse, kicking off a new season that will run through April 17, 2027, and includes the highly anticipated Saudi Cup meeting scheduled for February 5 and 6.
The opening day features 18 runners in the first race, where Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah will be represented by two horses, Transferred (IRE) and Muqtahem (IRE). Muqtahem, who secured victory in the same 1,200-meter $32,000 event last year on his seasonal debut, went on to place third in the Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint behind the American contender Imagination (US). This season, under jockey Muhammad Aldaham, Muqtahem has already won at Taif and finished third in a conditions race on September 19. Stablemate Transferred was eighth in the Dirt Sprint but came in second just ahead of Muqtahem in the recent Taif race.
Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s Red Stable is expected to offer strong competition with three entries: Ancestral Land (GB), returning for the first time since the Dirt Sprint Qualifier in January; Amphius (GB); and Amichai (IRE).
Saturday’s finale is a 2,000-meter open race valued at $32,000, with a full field of 20 declared. Among them, the Red Stable’s top-rated runner Tahzeem (KSA), ridden by Ricardo Ferreira, has shown steady improvement over recent seasons. Tahzeem ended last term with a victory in the domestic Group 3 JCSA Board of Directors Cup and later won the Asian Racing Federation Cup during Saudi Cup night with jockey Flavien Prat. The Red Stable will also enter Tawyee Alsahli (KSA) and Ibn Laboun (KSA), while the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has four runners in the race, led by Min Mihlahla (KSA). Min Mihlahla returns to competition after a fourth-place finish earlier this year in the International Jockeys’ Challenge.
Additionally, Sheikh Abdullah’s stable expects strong chances in race nine, a 1,600-meter open event worth $24,000. His entries include Threatening (IRE), a two-time winner at Taif and recent third-place finisher at King Khalid Racecourse behind Power Of Beauty (IRE), as well as Mihhal (US), who is seeking a third consecutive win. The Red Stable will field three horses among the contenders, including Riyadh Angel (IRE) and Bernard Shaw (US), both of whom finished behind Threatening in their most recent races.
The race meetings this weekend mark the first major fixtures of the season, setting the stage for competitive events leading up to the Saudi Cup in February. Enthusiasts and industry participants will be watching closely to assess the form and prospects of the key contenders from these prominent stables.