Asfan Al-Khalediah and Medbaas claim Founder’s Cup wins

RIYADH: The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia on Saturday hosted the second and final evening of the King Abdulaziz Cup, known in Saudi Arabia as the “The Crown of Championships,” with big wins for Asfan Al-Khalediah and Medbaas.

The evening at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Janadriyah, just north of Riyadh, included 11 rounds and ended with two main championship races determining the winners of the King Abdulaziz Cup for purebred Arabian horses and the first-grade race, both for local Saudi horses.

Horse Asfan Al-Khalediah, owned by Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Sons, claimed the first cup, while Mohammed Haadi bin Khyoot Sons’ Medbaas took the second. 

Total prize money for the two main rounds was $2.66 million, split equally, with the respective winners each receiving $670,000.

Prior to the races, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia held a parade of jockeys with thoroughbred Arabian horses to honor Saudi Arabia’s Flag Day, which the Kingdom is celebrating for the first time in its history.

The second evening of the King Abdulaziz Cup began with the Fillies Open, a contest for imported and locally bred open-grade fillies aged four and over. Filly Najd, owned by Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz and trained by M. Almulawah, covered the 2,100m turf round track in 2:13.96 minutes under jockey Alexis Moreno.

The Handicap 0-75, the second round of the evening, saw the horse Gurkhali Warrior, owned by R, win with jockey Eyad Alturisi and trainer Rashed Sanad M. Daban.

Meanwhile, the third round Handicap 0-80, was dedicated to three-year-old fillies and saw Aenood Alghada, owned by Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz, led by jockey Khaled Almimoni and trained by Hussein Alshoieb, win the 1,200m race.

The Jammran,