Carmel Road Looks to Regain Winning Form in Taif

The former Bob Baffert trainee is the headline act this week, aiming to capture Saturday’s third race

Carmel Road Begins His Path Toward the Saudi Cup / JCSA

TAIF, Arabia Saudita (Special for Turf Diario).- The King Khalid Racecourse in Taif will have an added attraction this weekend with the appearance of Carmel Road(Quality Road), a former Bob Baffert trainee in California, who will make his debut at the Saudi track under the care of Bader Rizaiq.

Purchased in a significant investment by King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz and Sons, the dark bay faced stern tests last season in Riyadh, including the Saudi Cup (G1), where he finished well behind Señor Buscador (Mineshaft), and the The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (G1), in which he was 11th in January. His new target will be more manageable: Saturday’s third race on the card, an open 1400-meter contest, with Fawaz Wannas in the irons.

Among his rivals is Honky Tonk Man (Tamayuz), stretching out in trip in his second start of the year for Hadi Gharawiand Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, and the recent winner Ajwadi (Dutch Art), conditioned by an in-form Thamer Aldaihani.

Saturday’s feature will be the JCSA Almaseef Cup Local Bred Horses Open (2000m), with Aljamaanee (Seeking a Home) as the leading player. The Prince Saud Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz runner comes off a victory in the July 25 prep and will again meet Katheer (Biz Blitz), whom he defeated in January in The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup for Apprentice Jockeys. Another name to note is Almaqam (Lope de Vega), lightly raced and to be partnered by Colombian rider Camilo Ospina.

Ospina, the current leading rider with nine wins, will have several top-class mounts. On Friday, he will be aboard Nowafaa (Premium Tap), a recent trial winner and a strong candidate for Rizaiq and White Stables in the Taif Flower Festival Cup Local Bred Open.

In the preceding race, the Um Alqura University Cup Open for fillies and mares, Aeadat (Premium Tap), trained by Ahmed Mohamoud, will look to extend her remarkable winning streak to eight.