Taif Season 2023 Meeting 39 (Saturday 2nd Sep)

RACEDAY OFFICIALS

Chief Executive Officer:

- Ziad Saad A. Almogren

Chief Racecourse Officer:

- David Mackinnon

General Supervisor of Taif Racing:

- Khalid B. Alashri

Racecourse Operations Director:

- Waleed AlShelil

Registration Director:

- Yousef AlBhaijani

Stewards Committee

- Mr Mukhled I Alotaibi - Mr Mansour M Alghatani (Chairman)

- Mr Fahad D Aldosari - Mr Abdullah I Alabdulwahab

Stipendiary Stewards

-Mr Rion Hitchener

-Mr Benjamin Cooke (Deputy (Chief Steward) Chief Steward)

-Mr Harsh Vardhan Jodha (Steward)

Vets:

- Waleed Alsanab

Clerk of Scales:

- Senhat Alsahaly

Judges:

- Hani Altowairqi

- Abdul Hakeem AlMutawa

- Mohammed Alwahabi

Taif Summer Racing

RACE SCHEDULE

Meeting 39, Saturday September 2nd 2023

King Khalid Racecourse, Taif

Gates open: 2:30pm

Taif Summer 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

TA’IF SEASON RACING CALENDAR 2023

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.

OWNERS - THOROUGHBRED

OWNERS - ARABIAN HORSES

TRAINERS

JOCKEYS

Racing Preview

Welcome to King Khalid Racecourse for King Faisal Cup day, our 39th meeting of the season.Today’s eight-race card is filled with quality races. Six valuable contests, including four editions of the Ta’if Cup and the Okaz Cup, precede the two SAR1 million Listed races on the card, the Prince Abdullah Alfaisal Cup and King Faisal Cup.The action begins with a maiden over 2000m for locally-bred horses. Mosslat probably sets the standard on known form after finishing second over the course and distance two weeks ago, but it doesn’t look an insurmountable one. Improvement can be expected from Awejez, Alfakher and Aladhed.Next up is the SAR400,000 Ta’if Cup for two-year-olds, run over 1400m. There are plenty of interesting runners here, including debut winner Ibn Alareen, but owners King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Sons hold a strong hand with four of the 17 runners. Of particular note are wide margin winners Lilaelem and Aesaa. The second mentioned, an impressive debut winner last time, is the ride of Camilo Ospina and could be the one to beat from stall one.Race three is the Ta’if Cup sponsored by Sports Boulevard, also run over 1400m. Zain Alzain, Hour Alenaya and Alwathqa all come here unbeaten after winning on their respective debuts. It will be fascinating to see which comes out on top, but they may all be vulnerable to dual winner, the Ahmed Mohamoud-trained Taybah Fail. Another dual winner, Lae Oyoun Masha’el can also go well from an inside draw.The Ta’if Cup presented by Boutique Group is run over 1600m and worth SAR500,000. This is another strong race, but the majority of attention will be on the returning Commissioner King. The Sabah Alshammri-trained three-year-old was last seen winning the Group 3 Saudi Derby on Saudi Cup night, running down the US-trained raider Havnameltdown to secure a famous victory. The son of Commissioner has won first time out before and should prove tough to beat under Luis Morales. Almulhem looks Commissioner King’s biggest danger.Race five, also over 1600m, is the Ta’if Cup presented by Altanfeethi. Justify filly Just For Sul was a good winner of the Um Eiqura University Cup when last seen, a success that makes her highest rated here. In the same ownership of HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Bin Abdulaziz, Smoky Quartz looks a threat, as does Nafethah, who is unbeaten in two starts this season.The Okaz Cup, run over 2000m and worth SAR700,000 looks a brilliant contest. Jimmy Jerkens is set to saddle Media Stream, a son of Frankel who was formerly trained by Andre Fabre in France. He is yet to hit the heights of his French form in two starts so far in KSA, but showed better last time when finishing third over this trip. La Casa Tarifa has won 15 times in KSA, but the nine-year-old only managed one victory in 18 starts last season and she may need her reappearance run. Khartoum, formerly trained by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, has only made four appearances in three seasons in KSA, but got off the mark last time and that should have done his confidence no harm.Listed action comes next, with the Prince Abdullah Alfaisal Cup for Arabian horses over 2000m. All eyes will be on eight-race unbeaten Asfan Al Khalediah, who reappeared with a ready victory over 1400m two weeks ago. Saad Mutlaq’s four-year-old will be better suited to this trip and should be extremely hard to beat. However, he does also face an unbeaten contender in three-time winner Najeeb Alzaman, who looks a worthy challenger. A top-quality card concludes with the much-anticipated Listed King Faisal Cup, for three-year-old Arabian fillies and colts. A field of 15 are set to go to post over 1600m and Athbah Racing look to hold a strong hand with their two runners, Foo De Pine and Yazmi Athbah. Foo De Pine makes his first start for UK-based trainer Philip Collington after switching yards following a successful KSA debut last month for KSA-based Lucas Gaitan. He could prove the one to beat under Alexis Moreno.

Races

Races

Taif Cup Presented by Altanfeethi

نماثلا

عباسلا

Taif Cup Presented by Altanfeethi

سماخلا

Taif Cup Presented by Boutique Group

عبارلا

Taif

ثلاثلا

يناثلا

. تاــــقاـــبس

تاــــقاـــبس