Teduom Opens Saudi Cup Meeting In Style
Teduom Sees Off Tobah In Curtain Raiser
Teduom (USA) provided a fitting start to the seventh edition of the Saudi Cup meeting when landing the opening race on day one at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Friday evening. The American-bred 3YO filly, trained by Faisal Aladhayani and ridden by Nawaf Almudiani, produced a commanding front-running display to defeat Tobah (GB) by one and three-quarter lengths, with Alghalyah (USA) a further six lengths adrift in third.
The locally trained fillies’ contest, run over 1,600 metres on the dirt surface, served as the curtain raiser for a glittering eight-race card that also featured the popular International Jockeys’ Challenge and the Gr.1 Al Mneefah Cup. Teduom, owned by Fehaid Muteb F. Alsubaie, was always prominent under Almudiani and found plenty when asked for her effort in the straight, recording a winning time of 1:40.86.
Muhammad Aldaham kept Tobah, representing Abdullah Alsidrani’s yard and owned by Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, in close pursuit throughout. The British-bred filly stuck to her task gamely but was never able to close the gap on the decisive winner, clocking 1:41.158. Abdullah Alhamad’s Alghalyah, under Ali Almutib for owner Fahad Abdulaziz Aljabar, was well held in third, finishing in a time of 1:42.232.
Local Talent Sets The Scene In Riyadh
The victory was a fine advertisement for the depth of Saudi Arabia’s domestic racing programme, which has grown substantially since the inception of the Saudi Cup in 2020. Aladhayani had clearly prepared his filly to peak for this occasion, and the manner in which Teduom asserted her authority from the front augurs well for future assignments during the Riyadh season.
The opening night of the Saudi Cup weekend featured eight elite races alongside the International Jockeys’ Challenge, which brings together seven male and seven female riders from around the world to compete across four races. The Friday card also included the 1,200 metres Sarawat Cup and the prestigious US$1.5 million Gr.1 Al Mneefah Cup for Purebred Arabians.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, HRH Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al Faisal, Chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, reflected on the significance of the occasion. “The Saudi Cup meeting is not only about world-class racing; it is a celebration of the horse as well as the culture and the hospitality of the Kingdom,” he told Arab News. The chairman also noted that the event had attracted 57 individual Group One or Grade One winners across the two-day programme, with nominations from 22 countries competing for total prize money approaching US$40 million.
Stage Set For Saturday’s Grand Showpiece
The prize money for Race 1 stood at SAR125,000 to the winner, with SAR50,000 for the runner-up and SAR37,500 for third. Whilst modest in comparison to the headline contests, the race underlined the breadth of competition that exists within the Kingdom’s racing ranks. Aladhayani’s charge ran out a decisive winner and her connections will be hopeful of building on this performance in the months ahead.
1st-Teduom (T: Faisal Aladhayani / J: Nawaf Almudiani)
2nd-Tobah (T: Abdullah Alsidrani / J: Muhammad Aldaham)
3rd- Alghalyah (T: Abdullah Alhamad / J: Ali Almutib)