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| Staff Writer |
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Asfan Al Khalediah, bred by Al Khalediah Stables, continued the impressive dominance of his stable at the 2024 Saudi Cup meeting by winning the US$2m Diriyah Gate Development Authority Obaiyah Arabian Classic. The grey son of Laith Al Khalediah and Mistahilat Al Khalidiah won the race in 2:13.72, with a comfortable lead of four and a quarter lengths ahead of the second-placed Vizhir, trained by Sami Almutairi. Najeeb Al Zaman missed second place by a nose. The foreign raider Vica Grine, trained by Elisabeth Bernard, finished in fifth place.
Asfan Al Khalediah follows in the footsteps of his stablemate Tilal Al Khalediah, by winning this valuable prize on The Saudi Cup night. Last year, he won the Ministry of Culture Al Mneefah Cup. Under the guidance of jockey Abdullah Alawfi, Asfan Al Khalediah was given a good lead first by stablemate Saloum Al Khalediah and then brother Qaswarat Al Khalediah before he started to edge closer off the final bend. When they turned for home, he quickened easily and needed little encouragement to secure the victory.
Trainer Naser Mutlaq had a memorable weekend as he now has two champions in his yard who perform equally impressively on dirt as on turf.
Abdullah Alawfi, jockey, Asfan Al Khalediah, said, “He’s a champion horse like every jockey wants to ride. I’m so lucky.
I never lose on him and I hope I never lose in the future. What a day this is. I was happy for Adel Alfouraidi that he won the race yesterday [on Tilal Al Khalediah] and I hope that we can win many more races together in the future. The horse likes 2000m and the last 200m he flew like a champion. I’ve no words to say anything else, I’m so thrilled.”
Naser Mutlaq, trainer, said, “Last year he was running on turf and it was really good. This year, switched to dirt, we knew he could and he’s an amazing horse to do both. The jockey knows this horse very well and has been riding this horse for two years so it was easy for us.”