USD$1.5million Friday Purebred Arabian Feature

GROUP 1 PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ INTERNATIONAL CUP TAKES CENTRE STAGE

Image:Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah wins at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on December 27, 2025. Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia - Ali Abdullah Alzunaydi.

Wednesday Janauary 7, 2026 – Al Khalediah trainer, Nasser Mutlaq has leading claims of taking top honours in the USD$1.5million Group 1 Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse this Friday with four runners headed by the exciting Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah.

Riyadh is host to the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival over the course of Thursday and Friday with huge prizemoney on offer for Purebred Arabian horses, and the action climaxes with 11 runners in the 1800m feature.

The race has been worth a colossal amount since 2019 and Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah (KSA) is top-rated in the field despite having just six outings.

The Adel Alfouraidi-ridden six-year-old is the winner of four of those and most recently gave a four-length beating to the reopposing Al Kaaser (FR) in the G3 Imam Turki bin Abdullah Sword on December 27.

Turki Al Khalediah II (KSA) was third on that occasion and is another Mutlaq representative along with the fourth home Mutwakel Alkhalediah (KSA), while last week’s winner Mostabsil Al Khalediah (KSA) completes his quartet.

And the race lives up to its name, French trainer Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte shipping in Moshrif (FR) for the second time after he chased home the legendary Tilal AI Khalediah (KSA) on Saudi Cup weekend in the G1 Al Mneefah Cup of 2024.

The main supporting event on Friday is the USD$300,000 Princess Mounira Bint Abdulaziz Bin Musaed Bin Jalawi Cup over 1600m in which Mutlaq has three of the eight runners.

His trio are headed by Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah (KSA) – who was second to Tilal AI Khalediah in Taif in September – Alfouraidi’s mount Mubarizat Alkhalediah (KSA) and Maitha Al Khalediah (KSA), while France is again represented with the La Teste-De-Buch-based Elizabeth Bernard sending out Algheed (FR).

Thursday’s feature is the Group 2 USD$500,000 Al Khalediah Stable International Cup over 1600m in which Nawahel Alkhalediah (KSA) and Nijinski Al Maury (FR) stand out in a field of eight after finishing sixth and seventh respectively behind Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah (KSA) last month.

That is staged as the final event on Thursday and the race before is the inaugural running of the USD$100,000 Mutlaq bin Moshrif Cup staged in hour of Nasser’s father to appreciate of his role in Al Khalidiah’s achievements and championships after he sadly passed away last year.

Saturday’s all Thoroughbred card features the marathon 2400m SAR150,000 Al-Jouf Region Governorate Cup which has full field of 20 declared and includes two runners for the White Stable of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz headed by jockey Camilio Ospina’s course-and-distance winner Almaqam (KSA).

Also on that card is the filly and mares’ SAR150,000 Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture Cup over 1600m which is also fully subscribed and has last month’s winner Dance Desire (GB) top-rated for the Ricardo Ferreira, Thamer Aldaihani and Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah combination.

**ENDS**