Andrew Balding looking for maiden Saudi Cup win

In 2021, Andrew Balding came very close to a first Saudi Cup meeting victory in the Red Sea Turf Handicap with Spanish Mission, but his horse ultimately finished second behind Gifts of Gold.

Balding is keen to improve on that result when he returns to Riyadh on Saturday with Happy Power running the 1351 Turf Sprint at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack.

And the British trainer is looking forward to returning to the Kingdom after enjoying the trip last year.

“It really was excellent,” Balding said. “Obviously, it was a very positive experience from a financial point of view — the rewards are enormous, if you’re successful at the meeting. (But also) the staff felt the horses were very well looked after. All in all, it was a very positive experience for all of us.”

Balding also mentioned “tremendous condition” of the turf track in Riyadh last year, saying that it more than matched up to other turf circuits in the region.

“I think both Nad Al-Sheba and Meydan (in Dubai) have always had wonderful turf tracks, grass husbandry now in the Gulf is fantastic. And I found that also in Doha and Bahrain, it seems to be that the Gulf states can produce fantastic turf tracks. We haven’t had any complaints in any of the places raised horses.

“And that’s obviously a huge plus to provide a safe racing surface at this time of the year,” he continued. “So, for European horses, it is all that we want and the main requirement is that the horses come back from their races (in good condition), which is always important.”

Balding believes Happy Power is in as good a shape as can be to take up the challenge.

“I couldn’t have been happier with his work at Kingsclere before he left for Saudi Arabia and he’s a high-class seven-furlong