King Abdulaziz Turf Hosts First Race of the Season on January 23, 2021

Preparations are fully underway for the USD$30.5m Saudi Cup day, with the turf track at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh scheduled to stage its first race of the new season on January 23, 2021.

The race, held over the same 2,100m trip as the $1m Middle Distance Turf Handicap which opens proceedings on Saudi Cup day, carries an SAR85,000 ($22,000/£17,000) purse and is open to imported horses aged four and older.

There will be a total of $5m (£3.75m) in prize money offered for the four turf races at the 2021 Saudi Cup two-day meeting held on February 19-20, 2021: the $2.5m Long Distance Turf Handicap, the 1351 Turf Sprint ($1m), the Middle Distance Turf Cup ($1m) and the inaugural Saudi International Handicap ($500k) for horses trained in IFHA Part II or Part III countries.

Maximum Security ridden by Luis Saez wins the inaugural Saudi Cup at the King Abdul Aziz Racetrack in Riyadh.
(Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Doug DeFelice)

Michael Prosser, Regional Head of Racing, East Region for The Jockey Club in England, renews his 2020 role as Clerk of the Course for The Saudi Cup and will travel to Riyadh to oversee the turf track’s first use of the new season.

He said: “It’s really great to be part of The Saudi Cup in year two and to have the opportunity to build on the successful delivery of the inaugural running. Working alongside the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, STRI and Desert Group, we were able to provide a safe and fair racing surface in year one which received some excellent feedback. “Now we look forward to staging another high-quality event in 2021 and to attracting even more of the world’s most exciting racehorses and their connections to compete on the excellent turf and dirt tracks at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.”

Having successfully constructed the turf for the inaugural event earlier this year, sports surface solutions agency STRI has once again been appointed to oversee the project.

STRI’s specialist support for the 2021 Saudi Cup is aimed at re-establishing a world-leading racing surface ahead of the winter racing season. This involves retaining the underlying track profile following its construction in 2019 and re-establishing the surface with a “cool season” grass species, usually found in more temperate climates, but used to great effect for The Saudi Cup 2020. The renovation of the track is a vital component in ensuring horse welfare and optimal winter racing conditions.

Tom Ryan, Director of Strategy and International Racing at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “A world class event requires world class facilities and we were delighted with the positive feedback we received about the turf track following the inaugural Saudi Cup.  “When constructing a racing surface, horse welfare is always the main priority and with an additional race set to be staged on turf in 2021, we could not be happier with how the surface is already looking. We are also very pleased to welcome Michael Prosser back for The Saudi Cup 2021; he brings a wealth of international operational experience to this event and is a familiar face to horse connections.”

Richard Stuttard, Director of Consultancy at STRI Group, added: “Having successfully constructed the turf track to great acclaim for the inaugural turf racing at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack, we are thrilled to be overseeing the preparations for The 2021 Saudi Cup.  “The track was seeded in October, as soon as temperatures were suitable, to allow the maximum time to establish a hard-wearing surface suitable for racing. We are well ahead of schedule and are looking forward to another hugely successful Saudi Cup in 2021.”

Scheduled a week earlier than the inaugural event, the free to enter – free to run 1800m $20m Saudi Cup remains the highlight of an eight-race card, which now features a boost to the prize money of three dirt races on the undercard.

The Obaiya Arabian Classic as Tallaab Al Khalediah stormed the 2,000m on the dirt track. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)

The 1600m Saudi Derby sees an increase from $800,000 to $1.5m. The Obaiya Cup for Purebred Arabians held over 2000m will now be worth $2m, up from $1.9m while the purse for The Jockey Club Local Handicap will double to $1m up from $500,000.
The International Jockeys Challenge held the Friday before Saudi Cup will once again see 14 of the world’s best jockeys, seven women, five international men and two Saudi-based jockeys, compete for a challenge purse of $100,000 and 15 per cent of prize money.

Source: http://peterellisracing.com/