Argentine Group 1 star Intense For Me Makes Seasonal Debut

Image: Intense For Me - Saudi Cup night 2025. Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia // Erika Rasmussen

A second Riyadh outing following Saudi Cup debut

Wednesday October 22 – Several Cup races take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse this week but many eyes will be drawn to one of Saudi Arabia’s highest-rated horses when South American Group 1 star Intense For Me (ARG) reappears in race eight on Saturday.

The 2000m Open contest has attracted a classy field of nine-runners but the standout is the Argentine import who has his second start for trainer Abdulaziz Meshref having been snapped up by owner Muhaideb Abdullah Almuhaideb at the beginning of the year.

The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini winner was bought to compete in The Saudi Cup last year and the 114-rated son of Fortify (USA) may again have the world’s richest race on his agenda after finishing down the field in the 2025 running on his sole start in the country.

The chief danger would be Saudi Cup ninth Wootton'sun (FR) who goes for the trainer-jockey combination of Abdullah Al Kahtani and Adel Alfouraidi, and is one of two runners for Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz with the Red Stable also sending out the Nawaf Almudiani-ridden Derevo (GB).

Red Stable also have two good chances in the 2400m Eastern Governance Region Cup with Alfouraidi’s mount Jack Red Cloud (IRE) – who contested the Red Sea Turf Handicap last February – and Motafared (USA, who beat Jack Red Cloud in the Taif National Day Open and has since changed ownership.

Saturday’s second race, an Arabian Horses Open, has a strong entry with 19 declared but the 1600m event is a fascinating rematch between two runners who dead-heated in the King Khaled Racecourse Championship last month.

Angad Al Khalediah (KSA), who carries the colours of Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Sons and will have the assistance of Tariq Almansour, again tackles Anouar (FR) under Nawaf Almudiani after the pair crossed the line in unison on the final day of the Taif season.

One of the features on Friday’s card is the 1600m General Intelligence Presidency Cup which will see the once highly-regarded Defunded (USA) bid to reignite his career after failing to fire at the end of the previous Riyadh season.

Trained by Abdulaziz Meshref and ridden by Fahad Alfouraidi, the seven-year-old has been beaten in the last two Saudi Cups having arrived with a tall reputation from Bob Baffert’s California yard.

He faces 15 rivals in the 10th race and they include Carmel Road (USA) and Electability (USA) for the White Stable of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz & Sons, with Thamer Aldaihani sending out Ajwadi (GB) and Uncle (GB).

Nine runners will go to post in the 1800m Africa Cup for local-breds where the exciting Yaroa (KSA) reappears after winning all three of his career starts last season culminating with victory in the Local G1 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup under Camilo Ospina.

He is joined by other White Stable runners Mafroodh (KSA) and Mayhamah (KSA) with the Red Stables represented by the strong stayer Mashmookh (KSA) under Luis Morales and the Abdullah Alkredis-ridden Alghadaf (KSA),

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

**ENDS**