Owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah is set for a strong presence as racing makes a weekend return to Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
The new campaign, which runs through April 17 2027 and includes the Saudi Cup on February 5‑6, opens with a field of 18 for the first Saturday contest. Both Alsabah’s colours will be carried by Transferred (IRE) and Muqtahem (IRE).
Muqtahem claimed the 1,200‑metre $32,000 stakes a year ago on his seasonal comeback, followed up with wins in his next two starts before finishing third to American raider Imagination (US) in the Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Since then, Muqtahem—trained by Muhammad Aldaham—has won at Taif and posted a third‑place effort in a conditions race there on September 19. Stablemate Transferred, who was eighth in the Dirt Sprint, finished a close second in that latest Taif event.
Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s Red Stable provides the main opposition with Ancestral Land (GB) returning to action for the first time since an eighth‑place finish in the Dirt Sprint Qualifier in January, accompanied by Amphius (GB) and Amichi (IRE).
Saturday’s finale is another $32,000 open over 2,000 metres, featuring a full field of 20. The Red Stable’s top‑rated entry is Tahzeem (KSA), ridden by Ricardo Ferreira.
The six‑year‑old has shown steady progress over the past two seasons, capping the last term with a victory in the domestic Group 3 JCSA Board of Directors Cup and later taking the Asian Racing Federation Cup on Saudi Cup night under Flavien Prat.
Red Stable also sends Tawee Alsahil (KSA) and Ibn Laboun (KSA). The White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has a quartet of runners headed by Min Mithlaha (KSA), who returns after a fourth‑place finish in round one of the International Jockeys’ Challenge last February.
Sheikh Abdullah also has strong claims in Saturday’s race nine, a $24,000 open over 1,600 metres. He is represented by two‑time Taif winner Threatening (IRE), a UK import who finished third in last month’s King Khalid Racecourse Championship behind Power Of Beauty (IRE).
His colours will also be carried by Mhalhal (US), who seeks a hat‑trick, while Red Stable fields three runners, including Riyadh Angel (IRE) and Bernard Shaw (US), both of whom lagged behind Threatening in their most recent race.
The Kuwaiti owner also has notable chances on Friday, with top‑rated Misaaeel (KSA) under Muhammad Aldaham in the local‑bred filly and mare open over 1,400 metres, and with Western City (US) and Pretty Flag (IRE) in race 10.
That $32,000, 2,000‑metre open also features the highly rated Direct Security (IRE). Direct Security was eighth in the Group One Howden Neom Turf Cup on his last start and previously finished second in the qualifier for that race—the Listed Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup.
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