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| Staff Writer |
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Racing is returning to Taif this July as the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia unveils its ambitious summer programme featuring prize money totalling US$6.1m across a comprehensive ten-week schedule.
The season's highlight centres on premier Arabian contests including the Gr.3 King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup and Listed Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup, each carrying purses of US$267,000. These prestigious events coincide with The National Day Cup for Thoroughbreds, worth US$133,000.
Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Technical Committee, emphasised the programme's strategic development approach.
"This season, we have adopted an advanced race planning approach in terms of technical aspects for categories and age groups, whether for Purebred Arabian horses or Thoroughbreds," he explained.
The programme encompasses 200 races across 20 meetings, providing 160 opportunities for Thoroughbreds and 40 contests for Purebred Arabians. Thirty-one Championship Cups feature throughout the campaign, with meetings scheduled across Fridays and Saturdays.
"This development aligns with our strategic goals set for this year and contributes to the continued advancement of racing year after year, in accordance with a competitive racing and prize money framework that aims to provide equal opportunities for all horse demographics as much as possible," Prince Abdullah continued.
The planning process involved extensive consultation with owners and trainers to ensure the programme meets industry expectations while creating pathways towards the Riyadh season and potentially The Saudi Cup.
"We were also keen to involve owners and trainers in setting the Taif racing season program in order to build closer ties with the key members of our racing community and to ensure that the Taif racing program aligns with everyone's aspirations This programme provides a clear path for horses, giving them opportunities to rise through the ranks leading up to the Riyadh racing season and potentially on to the The Saudi Cup."