Falah Zain (KSA) scored in the trial for the JCSA Sprint Cup last month and faces nine rivals when trying to follow up in the 1200-metre feature event at King Khalid Racecourse on Friday.
The SAR150,000 local-bred open is the most valuable race on this weekend’s programme and Falah Zain represents leading connections with Muhammad Aldaham on board for Thamer Aldaihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah.
The son of Vino Rosso was an impressive seven-length winner of the trial and appears to have improved from last season when he could only manage 12th in the Sarawat Cup on Saudi Cup weekend.
He faces the winner of the Sarawat Cup in the shape of the Ahmed Alshaia-trained Karimi (KSA), who hasn’t been at his best this season and was behind Falah Zain when they were second and seventh in last month’s Alhada Cup, however Karimi may appreciate dropping back to 1200m in Friday’s 10th race.
Strongly represented are the Red Stable colours of Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, fielding three runners including Abn Alaseei (KSA) who was well held in the 2000m Taif Flower Festival Cup, but Nawaf Almudiani’s mount is better over a shorter trip and was fourth in the Sarawat and could be one to consider.
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz & Sons have the one runner in Min Shan (KSA) but the White Stable representative shouldn’t be discounted after just three outings and a near 11-length romp on his February debut.
Also on Friday is a Purebred Arabian horse open over 2000m which sees the seasonal return of Turki Al Khalediah II (KSA) under Fahad Alfouraidi.
The seven-year-old entire is in a full field of 18 for race nine and will be having his first run since finishing runner-up in the Listed King Abdulaziz Racecourse Champion last March in Riyadh, on the back of his ninth over turf in the G1 1 Al Mneefah Cup.
Race five on Saturday has SAR120,000 on offer for a 1400m Open in which Uncle (GB) should play a big part for Aldaham and Aldaihani after placing on both Taif runs this campaign.
He was second to Power Of Beauty (IRE) in the North America Cup in March, in which the reopposing Salam Alkhair (USA) was only seventh.
The latter makes his return for trainer Lucas Gaitan having shown flashes of brilliance in his career and is a former winner of the Taif Cup.
The final two races on Saturday are SAR100,000 handicaps over 2000m and in race nine Red Stable’s Painters Palette (IRE) takes a big ease in grade after chasing home Waqtuk on his last two outings.
In the Arabian equivalent as race 10 Samedea Athbah (GB) for trainer Abdulaziz Almosa has his first start since winning here in February and takes on top-weight and veteran Khateer Alkhalediah (KSA) who was last seen finishing sixth in the Sprint Championship Prep on August 30.
