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| Staff Writer |
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This season, Ta’if’s King Khaled Racecourse is hosting a Group race for the first time. The King Faisal Cup in September has been upgraded to Group Three level by the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) in anticipation of the new season.
The SAR 1 million 1600m contest, previously an international Listed race, will now be the only Group Three race on dirt for 3YO Purebred Arabians in the GCC region.
This development at Saudia Arabia’s summer racecourse marks the continued growth and enhancement of the Purebred Arabian program, emphasizing the significance of Purebred Arabian racing in Saudi Arabian culture.
The Gr.3 King Faisal Cup is scheduled to take place on Friday, 20th September at King Khaled Racecourse, Ta’if. It will be accompanied by the Listed Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup, also for Purebred Arabians, on the same race card.
In the previous year, the King Faisal Cup was claimed by Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah, trained by Saad Mutlaq, and ridden to victory by leading local jockey Adel Alfouraidi, representing Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Sons.
The racing season at Ta’if’s King Khaled Racecourse kicks off on Thursday, 4th July, and will consist of 39 fixtures across 13 weeks, concluding on Saturday, 28th September.
Mr. Ziad Almogren, CEO of JCSA said, “The upgrading of the King Faisal Cup marks an important milestone for racing in Ta’if, being the first ever Group race that will be contested at King Khaled Racecourse. We are proud to be raising the level of racing, both Purebred Arabian and Thoroughbred, throughout our Ta’if and Riyadh seasons, and this remains a key part of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia’s strategy.
“With the King Faisal Cup becoming the only Group Three contest on dirt for 3YO Arabians in the region, it displays our ongoing commitment to develop and showcase world-class Purebred Arabian racing, a tradition that is of huge significance to local Saudi Arabian culture.”