Bolide Porto Qualifies For Saudi Cup Night

WHITE STABLE RUNNER LANDS CONSECUTIVE LISTED PRINCE KHALID ABDULLAH CUPS

Image:Bolide Porto wins the Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. Credit: JCSA/ Ali Abdullah Alzenaidi.

Friday January 16, 2026 – History repeated itself at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Friday as Bolide Porto (IRE) went back-to-back in the Listed Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup to qualify for another outing in the Group 1 Neom Turf Cup.

The SAR1,000,000 event is a stepping stone to Saudi Cup night on February 14 and the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons have again secured a place for the five-year-old – in a race which only recently became the country’s first top-level race on grass.

Camilo Ospina gave Bolide Porto a ground-saving ride, hugging the inner rail all the way over the 2100m trip to get the better of a titanic tussle with Direct Security (IRE) under US rider, Joel Rosario and emerge victorious by a head.

Ospina said: “I love these colours, they are so lucky for me. When racing on the grass here it can better serve the horse to go around the inside and save ground and I am so happy for him.”

The White Stable earlier guaranteed another Saudi Cup night runner as Sayyah (USA) announced himself onto the staying scene with a thoroughly dominate display in the Red Sea Turf Qualifier presented by Baden Group.

Naif Alanazi sat handy on a strong pace and his mount had no issues as he stepped up to 3000m for the first time – surging clear off the home bend to land a third consecutive race on the spin having taken the Listed Crown Prince Cup last month.

The four-year-old is now the winner of seven of his 14 starts and qualifies for the G2 USD$2.5million Red Sea Turf Handicap after scoring by seven and a quarter lengths.

Zefzaf (USA) had always been held in high regard when in the care of American handler Jimmy Jerkins, and the six-year-old booked his ticket for the big night with victory in the 1351 Turf Sprint Qualifier sponsored by SAUDIA.

Jerkins has since relocated back to his homeland but predicted big things from Zefzaf last season, and his assessment is proving correct.

Having ran second in this race 12 months ago, the now Sami Alharabi inmate benefitted from a strong pace and picked up from well behind to provide Rosario with yet another winner following on from his Thursday hat-trick.

Zefzaf, who carries the colours of Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, went on to run midfield under Sibylle Vogt in a leg of the International Jockeys’ Challenge last year, but has now secured his ticket for the G2 USD$2milllion 1351 Turf Sprint.

Rosario said: “The race was very nice. There was plenty of pace on and he did it really well – he’s a nice horse.”

Also bound for Saudi Cup night and crack at Purebred Arabian Group 1 company is the exciting and progressive Adeeb Al Shahania (FR) who shone in the Al-Mneefah Qualifier sponsored by SHG.

Muhammad Aldaham’s mount put in a brave performance from the front and bounced back from last week’s fourth behind rising star Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah (KSA) in the G1 Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Cup to again hit the target.

The five-year-old is now the winner of four of his six starts for owner Khalid Saeed A Alsayed and has a date with destiny in the G1 USD$1.5million Al-Mneefah Cup on February 13.

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