Thundersquall Returns in 17-Runner Alshafa Cup at King Khalid Racecourse

Thundersquall is set to return to competitive action for the first time since February when the seven-year-old takes on 17 rivals in the $40,000 Alshafa Cup at King Khalid Racecourse on Saturday.

Owned by Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the son of Dubawi last raced in The Saudi Cup, finishing 11th behind Japanese star Forever Young. British jockey Danny Tudhope partnered him in that race.

Thundersquall will reunite with Saudi jockey Adel Alfouraidi for Saturday’s 2,000-metre feature. The pair enjoyed success together in January when they won the Listed King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion.

The weekend race will also mark Thundersquall’s first appearance at Taif since September 2024, when he won a handicap over the same course and distance.

Faal Khair leads the challenge for the White Stable. The American-bred runner returned to action successfully in the Alshafa Cup Prep earlier this month and will attempt to secure a third straight victory.

Faal Khair also won the UK Cup in Riyadh in his final appearance of last season, giving him the chance to extend an impressive recent run of form.

The Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz will field three runners: Alaham, El-Jabartee and Wootton’sun. Meblesh, an Irish import who finished ninth in the Alshafa Cup Prep, will represent Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah and trainer Abdullah Alsidrani.

Saturday’s eighth race is the $40,000 Fillies and Mares Cup for locally bred runners over 1,600 metres. Aeadat, a 15-time winner, will attempt to maintain her strong form for the White Stable after returning with a victory on August 1.

The six-year-old had been beaten on her last Riyadh appearance in November, ending a remarkable sequence of 10 consecutive victories.

White Stable will also field multiple winner Nowafaa, while Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah will be represented by recent runner-up Misaaeel.

Eighteen horses have been declared for the $32,000 Sprint Championship Prep for Arabian horses. Among the entries are Jade De Faust and Baseq and Bake, who finished first and second in a conditions race four weeks ago.

Saloum Al-Khalediah, who won last month, heads another competitive field in the King Khalid Racecourse Championship Prep for Arabian horses.

Friday’s main event is the $40,000 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep over 2,000 metres. Bint Ghaliat Al-Khalediah is regarded as one of the leading contenders for trainer Mohammed Alnafjan.

The eight-year-old finished second to Tilal Al-Khalediah over the same course and distance last September. She returns after finishing down the field in the Group 1 Al-Mneefah Cup during Saudi Cup weekend.