Taif Summer Season Showdown
Faal Khair wins at King Khalid Racecourse on August 7, 2026.
Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia / Abdullah Wanas Alshammari.
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TEN WEEKS OF ACTION CLOSE THIS WEEKEND
Thursday September 24, 2026 – Ten thrilling weeks of action draw to a close at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif this weekend with two Group 3 events worth SAR1,000,000 apiece and the National Day Cup on Saturday featuring the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Faal Khair (USA).
The mount of Fawaz Alshammari will face eight rivals in that SAR450,000 highlight and will be trying the 2400m for just the second time in his career.
He was well beaten on his first try and will also be looking to bounce back to form following his fourth in the Alshfa Cup having landed the trial for that race on August 7.
His main opponent is the Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s El Jabartee (IRE) who was second on his only start this term in the Alshfa Cup, while Sourdough (GB) was third in the trial to Faal Khair and has since scored in handicap company.
Friday’s highlight is the Group 3 King Faisal Cup for three-year-old Purebred Arabian horses over 1600m and will see the unbeaten Sahab Alriyadh (KSA) look for a third win after two Taif victories this campaign including when sailing home by nearly 11 lengths last time out.
A full field has been declared for that race while sixteen with go to post for the Group 3 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup also for Purebred Arabians, this time over 2000m for older horses.
Top-rated is Fahad Alfouraidi’s mount Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah (KSA) who ran down the field in the Group1 Al Mneefah Cup but has since taken the trial for this by seven lengths last month, and the eight-year-old clashes with the younger Hnof Athbah (FR) who is very unexposed for jockey Alex Moreno.
There are three division of the Taif Cup on Friday – two of them for juveniles – and the main event is the Taif Cup Sponsored by Lucid worth SAR450,000 for three-year-old colts and geldings over 1600m.
Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah’s Taif Derby winner Tuwajeri (IRE) is amongst the 18 runners and the winner of five of his 10 starts, who was also sixth in the Saudi Derby, faces the next four home from that race again including the Red Stable’s runner-up Yaltahem (GB).
Also in the field is the exciting Aesaa Kheir (GB) who was second on his Riyadh debut last November but has won all four starts since and looked good when landing a condtiions race on his Taif debut two weeks ago.
Saturday also hosts three divisions of the SAR250,000 King Khalid Racecourse Championship with Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah’s Tuwaiq Cup second Final Destination (GB) facing up to the White Stable’s classy Power In Numbers (USA) in the older horses’ event over 1600m sponsored by Al Hammadi Group.
In the King Khalid Racecourse Championship (Arabian Horses) sponsored by J Event, trial winner Mutwakel Alkhalediah (KSA) heads the 16 runners and will face Foo De Pine (ITA) who bids to get back to winning ways after running fifth here on his return to action last week.
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