Just hours after arriving, the son of Equal Stripes trotted and cantered lightly at King Abdulaziz Racetrack; jockey confirmed for the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1) winner
By Diego H. Mitagstein
RIYADH, Arabia Saudita (Special for Turf Diario).- The days are passing, the Saudi Cup (G1) meeting is getting closer, and inevitably, the anticipation begins to rise, along with the anxiety. It will not be just another race for South American and Argentine racing, in particular, as El Kodigo (Equal Stripes) and Intense for Me (Fortify), the two horses that decided the last Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1) at the Hipódromo de San Isidro, will line up at the start.
This will be the second time the world’s richest race, with a prize pool of USD $20,000,000, will feature South American horses. The Brazilian, based in Uruguay, Aero Trem (Shanghai Bobby), ran phenomenally in 2022, finishing fifth behind the local Emblem Road (Quality Road), ahead of key figures like the Japanese Marche Lorraine (Orfevre), Derby Winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief), and G1 stars Art Collector (Bernardini) and Mishriff (Make Believe).
As is well known, El Kodigo arrived in Riyadh a couple of days ago and today not only became acquainted with the track at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, where he cantered and trotted lightly, but also met Muhaideb Abdullah Almuhaideb, his new owner, who posed happily with the star.
Gustavo Bayón, the Argentine veterinarian who works with Almuhaideb’s stable, told Turf Diario that the champion arrived in great shape and that his class is truly remarkable. “He ate everything, rested, and looks impeccable. I’ve traveled with many horses, but I’ve rarely seen anything like this. He has an extraordinary quality,” he explained.
As for Intense for Me, the other South American contender in the Saudi Cup, it was confirmed that his jockey on Saturday the 22nd will be Camilo Ospina, the Colombian rider who has been based here for several seasons and recently surpassed 1,000 wins in Saudi Arabia.
An official jockey for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons, Ospina participated in the International Jockey Challenge, knows the track perfectly, which could be a big advantage for the chestnut, whose dirt racing form isn’t exactly stellar.
For Ospina, this will be his second consecutive participation in the Saudi Cup, after finishing in eleventh place 12 months ago with the local Carmel Road (Quality Road), when the retired Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) triumphed.
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