Taif Season 2023 Meeting 05 (Fri 9th Jun)

Taif Summer Racing

Welcome to King Khalid Racecourse, Taif

June 9 - Meeting 5

RACEDAY OFFICIALS

Chief Executive Officer:

- Ziad Saad A. Almogren

Chief Racecourse Officer

- David Mackinnon

Chief Commercial Officer:

- Chris Bevan

Racecourse Operations Director

- Waleed AlShelil

Stewards:

- Mukhled I Alotaibi (Chairman)

- Mansour M Alqhatani

- Fahad D Aldosari

- Abdullah I Alabdulwahab

Vets:

- Waleed Alsanab

- Abdul Hakeem AlMutawa

Clerk of Scales:

- Senhat Alsahaly

- Mohammed Alwahabi

Judges:

- Ibrahim Alomran

- Hani Altowairqi

Starter:

- Ziyad AlEnezi

- Turki AlDurai

Racing

RACE SCHEDULE

Meeting 5, Friday June 9, 2023

King khalid racecourse, Taif

Gates open: 2:20pm

Racing

Enjoy Taif Summer Racing

Be Our Guest At King Khalid Racecourse

Each June the Saudi Arabian racing industry shifts its focus from the capital Riyadh to the summer holiday venue of Taif.

With a programme of weekend racing and family entertainment from June to October, an evening at the races offers our guests music, award winning cuisine, raffles, competitions and all the thrills of the on-track racing action.

With free entry and walk-in restaurants as well as five-star hospitality options available, visitors to the races can enjoy a unique meal with a view from our exclusive Nadb Al Nadi building, located on the first turn of picturesque King Khalid Racecourse, or get up close and personal to galloping racehorses from the running rail accessible via the public concourse.

For the discerning racing fan, the Taif programme offers the chance to see the equine stars of tomorrow in action. Saudi Arabia’s most famous jockeys and trainers base themselves in Taif during the summer where they build towards the season’s Major Cups and it is all captured on live television and beamed to homes all around Saudi Arabia and the region.

For more information around Taif Summer Racing please check out our ticketing packages at: tickets.jcsa.sa/taif-season

TRACK INFORMATION

HOW TO READ THE RACECARD

The racecard is your guide to all the action at the racecourse. In the racecard you will find all the runners and riders listed, as well. as information relating to the age, breeding and equipment for each horse.

Racing Preview

Welcome back to King Khalid Racecourse for meeting five of the new season. A nine-race card awaits us today, including two valuable 0-90 handicaps worth SAR145,000. A maiden for locally-bred horses over 1200m gets things underway. Nine of the 16-strong field make their debuts here, while the other seven runners have only once seen the racecourse so it’s sure to be an informative contest. Perhaps Alnafee, who ran quite a promising race on debut last week when keeping on for seventh, can take another step forward in the hands of Camilo Ospina. Again over a trip of 1200m, a 0-85 Handicap comes next. Lord Paramount, a winner over 1400m when trained in the UK by Roger Varian, is an interesting KSA debutant. There should be better to come from National Gallery this season, after this son of Caravaggio shaped well on reappearance last week. He could now gain a first win in KSA and hand his rider Aseel Alsarhani a first win of the season. Race three is the first of our 0-90 Handicaps worth SAR145,000 and is run over 1400m. Kind Spirit, a son of Outstrip, has been highly consistent in five runs so far in KSA, winning one and hitting the frame twice. He finished second on his recent reappearance and his superior rating to his rivals, as well as his good draw in stall five could see him go one better. Next up is a race over 1400m for horses that have won no more than two races. Moutaib Almulawah’s four-year-old filly Minwah won twice from five starts last season and was far from disgraced when finishing sixth in the King Abdulaziz Racetrack Championship Cup on her final start. It will be fascinating to see what she can achieve this season. Our fifth race is a maiden over 1600m for Arabian horses. Mishal Elketayeb comes out on top of the ratings and could be up to building on his recent fourth-placed effort on reappearance. A 0-65 Arabian horses handicap over a trip of 1600m follows. Only six runners are set to line up here, and many in the field have already had plenty of chances already to register a first win. That’s not the case with Almohandes who looked as though he would win on KSA debut when leading off the home turn last time. He ultimately faded into fourth, but could bounce back now upped in trip. Race seven is run over 2000m and is a maiden for locally-bred horses. Motabaasim could be a notable runner on debut for HRH Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz. If breaking well from a wide draw in stall 15, this son of Frozen Power looks capable of going close in the hands of Abdullah Alawfi. The second of today’s 0-90 Handicaps comes next, this time over 2000m. Plenty of interesting runners make their seasonal returns here, including Dontaskmeagain, Juan De Montalban and Emblem Girl. However, Wild Rhythm, a well-bred son of Dubawi, looked to be getting the hang of things in KSA towards the end of last season when recording two wins in his last three starts and could continue where he left off. Our closing contest is run over 2000m for horses that have won between one and three races. Yazdad Heybah stands out from his four rivals on ratings and, after running well in two domestic Group 1s last season, should be able to take advantage of this drop in class.

Racing Preview

We are delighted to welcome you to the King Khalid Racecourse for the sixth meeting of the Ta’if season. Today’s ninerace card features a range of maiden, handicap and open contests and is sure to be competitive. The day’s action kicks off with a maiden over 1200m. Mohammed Alsubaie’s promising-looking Dhal’ae Tewaiq should be in with a decent chance of following up a good run for second place last time with a win here, now that the colt has some racecourse experience. Again over 1200m, the second race is another maiden, this time for locally-bred fillies. From a healthy field of 17 runners, Bander Alharthai’s Stratford Hill filly Ghomoodh looks to have good claims if she can beat Hussain Alshoieb’s Khad, who has a kinder draw in six. A locally-bred horses’ open follows, over 1200m. With just seven runners in total, Theqatee looks to have the race made for her with an innermost draw and carrying bottom-weight. Stepping back down in trip from 1600m ought to suit her. Our fourth race, the last over 1200m, is for horses who have won up to one race. Top-rated Own looks to have found a nice winning opportunity, having placed a good third last time out over this distance and, this time, equipped with blinkers. Among the younger runners, he has plenty of potential to improve. Race five is a locally-bred horses’ handicap over 1600m for those rated up to 80. Worth SAR120,000, this is a valuable race for the winner and, with a small field, any one of the six runners’ connections could be in luck. The most likely candidate, however, may prove to be

Tayel Alkheir, having had a promising run already this season over this distance for third place.

Race rix runs under the same conditions as the preceding race, but has a much larger field of 18 runners. Alkhadram, who runs reasonably well fresh, performed respectably over 2000m last season but was without a win over that distance. Dropping down 400m here may suit him better and get the best from him, and he wears blinkers and tongue strap this time. The seventh race, a valuable Arabian horses’ handicap worth SAR150,000, is over 1600m. Improving filly Taqdeer, a four-year-old by Af Al Buraq, placed nicely on her seasonal reappearance and, now steps up from 1400m to another trip she has previously won over. She should have every chance from stall two.

The penultimate race of the day is an Open over 2000m. Going Gone, previously a four-time winner in the UK for Jim Boyle, makes his debut in Saudi Arabia and, drawn in stall four with a history of going well fresh, he could be most interesting. The final race of the day is a locally-bred horses’ handicap over 2400m, for those rated up to 70. Ibn Hadhbaan steps up significantly in distance for this, having last been seen over 1200m, and could be in with a better chance, having placed last season over 2100m.

another who still has potential.

Races

Races

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