Founder’s Cup horse race to mark Saudi Arabia’s first Flag Day celebration

RIYADH: Local horses will compete in The Founder’s Cup this weekend, with the showcase King Abdulaziz Cup on Saturday, March 11 splitting a total prize of $2.66 million over two races.

Dubbed the crown of the championships, The Founder’s Cup is locally classified as Grade One and will be held at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Janadriyah, north of Riyadh, in conjunction with the first celebration of Saudi Arabia’s Flag Day.

The King Abdulaziz Cup – named after the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – is one of the most valuable prizes of the Riyadh racing season.

Four-year-old Arabian horses are to participate in the first round, while the second is dedicated to three-year-old thoroughbreds. Both races are open grades and cover 1,600 meters on a dirt track.

Organized by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, The Founder’s Cup includes a total of 22 races over Friday and Saturday, the most prominent being the two main rounds of The King Abdulaziz Cup on Saturday evening.

Alongside the races, the JCSA will host a variety of cultural and entertainment activities, offering an exciting day out for families as well as horseracing enthusiasts. Attractions will include a folklore dance performance by the Shabah Bisha ensemble and other events commemorating Flag Day.

A quarter-century of The Founder’s Cup

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Equestrian Authority and the JCSA, said: “This occasion honors the memory of King Abdulaziz, the knight closely associated with horses.”

He pointed out that almost a quarter of a century had passed since the establishment of the Founder’s Cup in 1999, when the late King Abdullah, former JCSA chairman, launched a new equine championship in the name of the Kingdom’s