Emirati Pride On The World Stage
From Al Ain To Meydan: A Family's Dream Under The Floodlights
Fresh from landing back-to-back Gr.1 Al Mneefah Cups on Saudi Cup weekend, the 7YO grey entire RB Kingmaker has his sights set on an even grander prize. On March 28, the 30th anniversary of Dubai World Cup night at Meydan Racecourse, The National Stables will send their proven Group One campaigner into the US$1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic over 2000 metres on dirt.
For Tahnon Al Alawi and his father Helal Al Alawi, a training partnership from Al Ain competing on the biggest stage in racing carries a weight of meaning that extends well beyond prize money. "RB Kingmaker came out of the Al Mneefah Cup in Saudi Arabia in excellent condition," Tahnon says. "That performance confirmed he is still at the top level, and we're very happy with his current form going into the Dubai World Cup night."
A Career Forged On The Grandest Stages
Bred in the United States by Dianne K Waldron and sired by the Saudi-bred Baseq Al Khalediah out of RB Royale Madame, RB Kingmaker has built a formidable record of 10 victories from 25 career starts across three continents. His roll of honour includes the Gr.1 HH The President Cup, the Gr.3 Arabian Triple Crown by six lengths, the Gr.1 Doha Cup at Deauville, and a runner-up finish behind Al Ghadeer in the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp.
But it is the Al Mneefah Cup where the grey has written himself into Saudi racing history. In February 2025, he captured the Group One feature on Saudi Cup weekend, the US$1,500,000 contest over 2,100 metres on turf, beating Nabucco Al Maury by a length in 2 minutes 20.29 seconds under Cristian Demuro. Returning to Riyadh on February 13 this year to defend his crown, he did precisely that, landing back-to-back Al Mneefah Cups with a gritty half-length victory over RB Mary Lylah from a field of 12, completing the distance in 2 minutes 21.55 seconds.
Eyes On Meydan
The target now is the Dubai Kahayla Classic, the Group One Arabian feature on Meydan's nine-race card. The shift from turf to dirt presents a genuine question mark. RB Kingmaker's record on the surface reads zero wins from three attempts, including a 10th of 13 behind Tilal Al Khalediah on Dubai World Cup night 2024, beaten 29½ lengths.
Yet Tahnon remains confident. "The 2,000 metres at Meydan suits him well. He has proven stamina and the ability to travel strongly in big races, and Meydan's long straight should allow him to show his finishing power." Beyond Meydan, the ambitions extend further still. After a post-Dubai break, "the President Cup and key European targets later in the season are naturally in our thinking."
Asked where RB Kingmaker ranks among the horses he and his father have trained, Tahnon is unequivocal. "RB Kingmaker is definitely among the best horses we have trained. To perform consistently at the highest level across several seasons and major international races shows his class, durability, and heart." At seven, the grey remains, in his trainer's assessment, "experienced but still very competitive."
The Ascending Force
If RB Kingmaker is the seasoned campaigner, then HM Alchahine is the stable's ascending force. The 6YO bay stallion, a French-bred son of Al Mourtajez out of Al Chyhanah bred by Mr Mousli, boasts 11 victories from just 14 career starts and a rating of 131, the highest in the stable and among the best in Purebred Arabian racing globally.
His 2025 campaign was relentless. In March, he captured the Gr.1 HH The President Cup at Abu Dhabi under Adrie de Vries, beating First Class by just over a length. Victories in the Italian and German legs of the UAE President Cup Series followed over the European summer. Later that autumn, at Longchamp in October, he pushed Al Ghadeer all the way in the Qatar Arabian World Cup before finishing second.
When HH The President Cup returned in December 2025, carrying a purse of US$2,180,000 (AED8,000,000), HM Alchahine was imperious once more, this time under Demuro, sweeping past his rivals from 400 metres out to defeat Nabucco Al Maury by 3¼ lengths. RB Kingmaker, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, finished third that day, beaten seven lengths.
Unfinished Business
Qatar, however, has proven to be the one stage that eludes him. Third in the 2025 Amir Sword behind Al Ghadeer over 2300 metres, beaten three lengths, he returned for the 2026 renewal over 2,400 metres only to finish third again, this time four lengths behind Lippo De Carrere in 2 minutes 37.06 seconds.
Tahnon is philosophical. "HM Alchahine didn't show his full potential in the Amir Sword," he acknowledges. "In races at that level, small details can make the difference — the pace scenario and positioning in the final stages didn't fully suit him, which may have cost him a better result."
Whether the stallion joins RB Kingmaker on Dubai World Cup night remains an open question. "We are considering our options carefully," Tahnon says. "Dubai World Cup night is always attractive, but we will only bring him if we feel the timing and condition are absolutely right. Otherwise, we may target races later in the season where conditions suit him perfectly. He remains one of our key horses for major international races this year."
A Global Blueprint
The scope of The National Stables' international reach reflects the philosophy Helal Al Alawi built over decades, establishing a dual training model that shuttles horses between the UAE and France, where Elisabeth Bernard oversees their European campaigns.
Tahnon's emergence as co-trainer has added fresh energy to an already ambitious operation. "Working alongside my father has taught me how to prepare horses to travel while keeping them mentally relaxed and physically at peak fitness," Tahnon says.
That philosophy revolves around consistency. "We focus on keeping RB Kingmaker's routine as consistent as possible," he explains, referencing the careful calibration of travel timing, recovery days, veterinary checks and training intensity that defines every cross-border campaign.
Central to the stable's international rise has been the partnership with Cristian Demuro, the Italian-born, French-based jockey whose calm temperament and tactical acumen have proved ideally suited to the Al Alawi horses.
He has partnered both RB Kingmaker and HM Alchahine to Group One victories across multiple countries, forging a continuity of understanding that few jockey-trainer relationships in Arabian racing can match. "Cristian has become a very important rider for our stable," Tahnon says. "What makes his partnership with RB Kingmaker so effective is his understanding of the horse's rhythm and his ability to stay calm in big races. He times his runs very well and gives the horse confidence."
The intention is for Demuro to ride RB Kingmaker in the Dubai Kahayla Classic. "Continuity with a jockey who knows the horse well is always a big advantage at this level," Tahnon adds.
A Homecoming Thirty Years In The Making
As the 30th anniversary edition of Dubai World Cup night draws closer, with its nine-race card carrying US$30,500,000 in total prize money, Tahnon contemplates what victory at Meydan would mean. "Dubai World Cup night is the biggest stage in racing, and to win the Dubai Kahayla Classic on home soil would mean a lot to me personally," he says. "As a young Emirati trainer working alongside my father, representing our country at this level is already an honour."
The words arrive with quiet conviction. "To win on the 30th anniversary would be something very special — not only for our stable, but for everyone who supports Arabian racing in the UAE. It would be a proud moment for our team, our owners, and our country."
In an era when Arabian racing's grandest prizes are increasingly contested by global operations backed by sovereign wealth, the sight of a father and son from Al Ain competing at the summit carries its own powerful symbolism. Helal Al Alawi laid the foundations. Tahnon is building upon them with the confidence of youth tempered by the wisdom of watching and waiting for the right moment.
That moment, if RB Kingmaker has anything to say about it, may arrive under the Meydan floodlights on the biggest night of them all.