Taif Sprint Cup headlines Week 7 of racing at King Khalid Racecourse

TAIF: King Khalid Racecourse stages Week 7 of the Taif racing season on Saturday with 13 two-year-olds competing for $106,000 in the 1200m Taif Sprint Cup.

One of the eight newcomers in the field could get their career off to a profitable start and chief among them is the Muhammad Aldaham-ridden and Thamer Aldaihani-trained Ak’haal (IRE), who makes his debut for owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Al-Malek Al-Sabah.

Form is thin on the ground, but four of those who have raced clashed in the same event two weeks ago with Salman Al-Adhayani’s Alaghr (USA) to be ridden by Abdullah Al-Fairouz, and Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz-owned and Alexis Moreno-ridden Newtown Runner (USA) finishing second and third respectively.

The other main event on Saturday is the 1400m Arabian Mares contest with last season’s Riyadh success story Lacy Des Vialettes (FR) back out for her third run of the campaign.

The Mustafa Al-Mosa-trained filly won her first four starts and Khaled Al-Mimoni’s mount is working back into form having not been disgraced with her fifth-placed effort in the Taif Arabian Derby.

Recent winning form is represented by Mubarizat Alkhalediah (KSA) in the colors of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Sons with Fahad Al-Fouraidi taking over in the saddle from Adel Al-Fouraidi after the five-year-old returned from an absence with victory on Aug. 22.

Headlining Friday’s card is the King Khalid Racecourse Championship Prep over 1600m with the 18-strong field headed by champion Al-Fouraidi’s mount Waqtuk (USA) for trainer Abdulaziz Al-Mosa.

The four-year-old colt built on his comeback effort to score nicely in the Makkah Almokarramah Reg. Gov. Cup from Final Destination (GB) and Painters Palette (IRE) among