Rosario, Smith and Marquand ready to Rattle N Roll in Riyadh

International horses and star jockeys take on Saudi Cup qualifiers across two major race days at Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Racecourse

Image: Rattle N Roll exercises on the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia

23 February 2025 – US trainers Kenny McPeek and Doug O’Neill will saddle runners in the Group 3 SAR1,500,000 (USD$400,000) The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, a qualifier for next month’s $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup, when Rattle N Roll (USA) and EJ Won The Cup (USA) line up on Saturday.

US Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Joel Rosario will take the ride aboard Grade 2 Clark Stakes winner, Rattle N Roll in the 1800m contest at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, which is being run as a Group 3 for the first time this season.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Rattle N Roll is being leased by Saudi businessman, Sharaf Al Hariri for the horse’s Middle Eastern campaign. The Lucky Seven Stable-owned son of Connect is being prepped for the February 22 Saudi Cup, followed by a potential tilt at the Dubai World Cup, held this year on April 5. Rosario will be joined by US Triple Crown-winning rider, Mike Smith, who will partner the Doug O’Neill-trained and HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz-owned EJ Won The Cup.

Smith also rides in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint Qualifier presented by REEF aboard O’Neill’s Index Fund (USA), who will also run in the colours of HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz’s Red Stable, as well as on the Jimmy Jerkens-trained Grocer Jack in Friday’s Prince Khaled Abdullah race over 2100m on the turf. Last year’s The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques winner, Power In Numbers (USA), this year partnered by Mickael Barzalona and runner-up Scotland Yard (USA), under top Saudi jockey, Adel Alfouraidi, are set to spearhead the local challenge.

Other notable entries include Listed Crown Prince Cup winner Wootton'sun (FR), the ride of James Doyle and domestic Group 1 King Saud Cup winner, Carracci (USA) who is the mount of two-time Qatar champion jockey Alberto Sanna, as well as last year’s Saudi Cup runners Carmel Road (USA) under Tom Marquand and Defunded (USA).

Saturday’s card also features the 2000 Guineas (Group 3 Saudi Derby Qualifier) sponsored by Saudi National Bank, the Al-Dareyah Cup (PA G1 Obaiya Arabian Classic Qualifier) presented by Diriyah Gate ‍Development Authority, as well as two domestic Group 1s in The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for KSA bred horses and the two SAR5m ($1.3m) King Abdulaziz Cups over 1600m, one for three year olds and the other for Purebred Arabian four year olds. Several of Friday’s qualifying events for The Saudi Cup meeting – held on 21-22 February – have also attracted an international entry.

Army Ethos (GB), formerly trained by Archie Watson in the UK and now with Fawzi Nass in Bahrain, will line up in the opening race on Friday, the 1351 Turf Sprint Qualifier sponsored by NOVA.

Nass is also set to field Epsom Derby runner, Macduff (GB) in the following race, the Listed Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup, a qualifier for the G2 Neom Turf Cup.

Macduff is another horse formerly trained in the UK, when with Ralph Beckett, and was runner-up in Sandown’s Group 3 Classic Trial last season before going on to finish down the field in the Derby.

Sanna will take the ride aboard the son of Sea The Stars.

The other qualifier to be held on Friday is the Arabian Horses Open (PA G1 Al Mneefah Qualifier) sponsored by Alfakhera.

**ENDS**