Ameerat Alzamaan faces the colts in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup

The mare, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, is a strong contender in the race that will grant a spot in the 2026 Saudi Cup

Rattle N Roll won the Custodian in 2025/ JCSA

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Special for Turf Diario).— With the focus set on the major goal of the international winter, the 2026 Saudi Cup (G1), King Abdulaziz Racecourse will host a high-profile meeting this weekend. The card is headlined by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (G3), a qualifying race for the $20 million showdown scheduled for February 14.

In this context, all eyes will be on Joel Rosario, who seeks to repeat his victory from 12 months ago when he won with Rattle N Roll (Connect) in this same trial. This time, he will be aboard the remarkable Ameerat Alzamaan (Ghaiyyath), representing the Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz.

The 1000 Guineas and Fillies’ Mile champion is coming off a dominant victory in the Prince Sultan Ben Abdulaziz Cup (G3). With 6 wins in 7 starts, she stands out as one of the leading figures in the 1800-meter contest, which offers SAR 1,500,000 in prize money.

The weekend will bring together a constellation of stars in the irons. Joining Rosario are international heavyweights such as Christophe Soumillon, Mickaël Barzalona, and Danny Tudhope, who will face local champion Adel Alfouraidi in a lineup that blends European experience, American talent, and the steady growth of Saudi racing.

Red Stable will have a dominant presence with four representatives in the main event: besides Ameerat Alzamaan, they will field Wait To Excel (Postponed) and Wootton’sun (Wootton Bassett)—second and third in the last edition, respectively—along with El Jabartee (Ghaiyyath).

On the other side, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s White Stable will rely on Lionel (Authentic) and Michael Scofield (Tiz the Law), recent protagonists of the Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Cup (G2), with Soumillon and Barzalona aboard. Also joining the field is the well-known Haqeet (Arrogate), hero of the King Saud Cup, now ridden by Colombian jockey Camilo Ospina.

Another focus of attention will be Mhally (Sergei Prokofiev), winner of the local 2000 Guineas and third in the Saudi Derby. He will be ridden by Portuguese jockey Ricardo Ferreira for trainer Thamer Aldaihani, a duo that also has several strong contenders throughout the program.

Among the 20 entries, Scotland Yard (Quality Road) also stands out. He is coming off a second-place finish in his return to the track following an inconsistent 2025 campaign, regaining his form by winning the Tuwaiq Cup during the last Saudi Cup festival.