Al Haram

With the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup meeting now less than a week away, a quartet of American-based gallopers took to the Meydan main track Saturday morning to post their final major preparations. Defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) is one of two in the main event for Wathan Racing  (and one of an impressive six runners across the evening) and the 6-year-old tuned up for the 2000-meter feature Saturday, covering a half-mile in :48 2/5, per trainer Brad Cox. "Cooled out great, he's handled the...

This column is not really supposed to start until the Flat turf season gets underway but we saw the sunshine in Newmarket on Monday morning for pretty much the first time this year so we're jumping the gun a little. After all, there was plenty of top-class Flat action on offer over the weekend in the Middle East and beyond, and following some frenetic race reporting on the spot in Riyadh, here are a few thoughts and breeding angles with the benefit of some time for reflection. Deep influence  With...

Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah's Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), unbeaten and untouched in three tries entering Saturday's $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby, came with a barnstorming run through the final 200 meters and raced over the top of a pair of raiding rivals to score by a widening 1 1/4 lengths over 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Obliteration (Violence) and hot favorite Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief). The victory was worth 30 points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, though he was not among the...

One need go no farther back than 2022, when Emblem Road (Quality Road) charged home to defeat America's Country Grammer (Tonalist) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the G1 Saudi Cup, to see that horses trained in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have managed to make an impression on the meeting, the seventh renewal of which takes place this Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. The home team fields a 14-strong challenge across five of the six group-level contests, and while each would have to find on their current form...