Taif Derby Headlines Weekend Action at King Khalid Racecourse

2000 Guineas winner Mhally chasing Classic double

Image: Mhally wins the 2000 Guineas on January 25.

Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia / Ali Al-Abdullah

Thursday 21 August, 2025 – A superb weekend of action awaits at King Khalid Racecourse as 2000 Guineas winner Mhally (GB) faces several familiar rivals in a field of 12 assembled for the US$106k Taif Derby on Saturday.

Huge prize money is on offer for the final two events with another US$106k prize purse attached to the concluding Taif Arabian Derby for Purebred Arabians, which sees prep winner Wared Al Sengar (KSA) take on nine opponents over 1600m.

Mhally, trained by the in-form Thamer Aldaihani for Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, will be making his seasonal debut having beaten several of the field in last season’s 2000 Guineas held in Riyadh on January 25, an effort which was franked by his third to Golden Vekoma (USA) in the Saudi Derby the following month.

Jaarif (USA) was just a half-length behind Mhally in the 2000 Guineas and will be making his first start under Khaled Almimoni for trainer Abdullah Almonif, with the fourth home that day, Faal Khair (USA), also in the line-up for the White Stables of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz and Sons.

Camilo Ospina, who blitzed his rivals in the Taif Jockey Championship with six winners last weekend, will again be aboard for trainer Ahmed Mohamoud following their comeback second in the trial for this at the beginning of the month, with the Muhammad Aldaham-ridden Mhalhal (USA) third on that occasion and a second representative for Aldaihani.

A fascinating addition to the field is Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz’s Bernard Shaw (USA) after his debut in the country last weekend for the Red Stable.

A US$1.8m yearling, the mount of Fahad Alfouraidi for trainer Hadi Gharawi, was sixth on his first outing and joined connections having won one of his four starts for the legendary Aidan O’Brien in Ireland.

Trainer Mustafa Almosa’s Wared Al Sengar (KSA) is top-rated in the Taif Arabian Derby under Mohammad Alhubail and clashes again with the placed horses from the trial – runner-up Abdulaziz Almosa’s Wasib (FR) and third home HM Alnasserallah (FR) for Bassim Almousa.

Also in the field is Lacy Des Vialettes (FR), winner of the King Faisal Cup last season, but bidding to improve on her comeback seventh earlier this month. She goes post under Almimoni for Almosa.

The four-year-old won the first four races of her career before finding the company too hot on Saudi Cup day and running down the field in the Group 1 Obaiyah Arabian Classic.

Sixteen runners have been declared for the Taif University Cup Local Bred Horses Open over 1400m and they include four for the Red Stable headed by

Riyadh Dirt Sprint fifth Saodad (KSA), who has worked his way back into form in two Taif outings this campaign.

Friday’s feature is the 1600m Makkah Almokarramah Reg.Gov.Cup in which Aldaihani has a strong hand with Tuwaiq Cup fourth Final Destination (GB) and Uncle (GB), who does battle once again with Nicolas Bachalard’s Henry Q (USA) after they fought out the finish for the prep here on August 1.

Watch the action live here: https://www.youtube.com/@JCSA_Racing/streams

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