Thundersquall Downs Rivals To Win Alshafa Cup At Taif
Alfouraidi Delivers In Alshafa Cup
Thundersquall returned to Taif with a victory that reunited him with the jockey behind his last Saudi success. Adel Alfouraidi partnered the seven-year-old to victory in the Alshafa Cup at King Khalid Racecourse on Saturday, 29 August 2026, a first outing for the Dubawi gelding since he finished 11th behind Forever Young in the US$20,000,000 Gr.1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in February 2026.
The SAR150,000 (US$40,000) Alshafa Cup was run as the 10th race on Saturday's card, over 2000 metres for horses aged four and up. A field of 21 was declared, of which 17 went to post. Thundersquall, a 7YO gelding trained by Muteb Almulawah and owned by Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, crossed the line in 2:16.285 to collect SAR75,000 (US$20,000) of the purse. El Jabartee finished second, nine and a half lengths back in 2:18.435, with Wootton'sun a neck away in third in 2:18.469.
The win was Thundersquall's first in Taif since a course-and-distance handicap success in September 2024. Danny Tudhope had ridden the gelding to 11th place behind Forever Young in that Group One contest at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, racing prominently through the opening stages of the world's richest race before weakening in the closing stages. Alfouraidi's return to the saddle at Taif proved decisive, the pairing having already combined to land the Listed King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion in January 2026.
Faal Khair Hat-Trick Bid Falls Short
Faal Khair, representing the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, had arrived at Taif on the back of a win in the Alshafa Cup Prep earlier in August 2026, itself following a victory in the UK Cup in Riyadh at the end of the 2025–2026 season. The bid for a third straight win ended in fourth, two and a quarter lengths behind Wootton'sun, in a time of 2:18.956 under Fawaz Alshammari.
Doubletalk, a five-year-old mare trained by Bassim Almousa, was the only runner conceding weight to the field, carrying 56kg against a topweight of 58kg elsewhere, and finished fifth under Alexis Moreno, a length and a half behind Faal Khair, in 2:19.313. Gaasy and Seendid completed the frame in sixth and seventh, while Eddie Castro, riding Mashhur for trainer Baden Alsubaie, was pushed back to eighth. Mr Trinket and New Pursuit followed in ninth and 10th, with Gareth, Cool Legend, Almotayab and Marquis Pompeo rounding out the placings behind Meblesh and Saaden.
Red Stable Fill Two Of The Places
The Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz saddled two of the first three home, with El Jabartee and Wootton'sun filling second and third. Stablemate Alaham finished 12th of the 17 finishers, six lengths behind the winner. UK import Meblesh, representing Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah and trainer Abdullah Alsidrani, could finish only 16th this time, having been ninth in the same connections' Alshafa Cup Prep run earlier in August 2026. Four of the declared entries, including Sourdough under Khaled Almimoni, did not take their place at the start.
Saturday's card also carried the SAR150,000 (US$40,000) Fillies And Mare Cup for local-bred runners over 1600 metres, in which the White Stable's Aeadat, a 15-time winner, was declared to build on a return to form on 1 August 2026 after a run of 10 consecutive victories had ended in Riyadh in November 2025. Stablemate Nowafaa and Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah's Misaaeel completed the confirmed line-up for that race, while the SAR120,000 (US$32,000) Sprint Championship Prep Arabian Horses drew 18 declared runners including Jade De Faust and Baseq And Bake, who had filled the first two places in a conditions race in late July 2026.
A day earlier, the SAR150,000 (US$40,000) Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep Arabian Horses over 2000 metres was headed in the declarations by the Mohammed Alnafjan-trained Bint Ghaliat Al Khalediah, runner-up over the same course and distance in September 2025.