Afsan Al-Khalediah claims King Faisal Cup in marquee event of Ta’if horseracing season

To the roar of Ta’if’s King Khaled Racetrack crowd, the 2022 King Faisal Arabian Horses Cup was claimed on Saturday evening by Afsan Al-Khalediah for Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz’s Al-Khalediah Stables, finishing well ahead of contenders Modhishah and Malzaman.

Sired by Laith Al-Khalediah and ridden by Abdullah Al-Awfi, gray colt Afsan Al-Khalediah completed the 1,600-meter race in a final time of 1:55.38, besting Modhishah by 15.75 lengths, with Malzaman another 0.75 lengths back in third.

Having won the King Faisal Cup in 2021 with Tilal Al-Khalediah, Al-Khalediah Stables hold a perfect record in this $266,000 race. And it was a glorious day for Al-Awfi, who earlier steered Qaswarat Al-Khalediah to victory in the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup, also with a $266,000 bounty.

“I was wary of the filly Katebat Al-Khalediah, but as it turned out I knew I had won from 800 meters out,” Al-Awfi said. “I’ve won three out of three on Asfan now; he’s an excellent horse. I feel that Asfan could emulate Tilal Al-Khalediah, who was the winner of this race in 2021 and went on to also win the King Abdulaziz Cup for purebred Arabians.”

The purebred Arabian race followed a number of other competitions throughout the day in addition to the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup, including the Fillies Open, won by Rooqa; the Ta’if Cup (fillies and colts) with Al-Kuweit in the lead; the Ta’if Cup (fillies), claimed by Aewaaly Najd; and the Okaz Cup, with Yahtarez taking the prize — a day of racing worth more than $1.2 million across the card.

“I extend my congratulations to Al-Awfi, trainer Saad Mutlaq and the Al-Khalediah Stables on their victory in the second renewal of the King Faisal Cup,” Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Chairman