Intense for Me Set for Friday’s Crown Prince Cup on the Riyadh Turf

The 2024 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini winner will race for the first time on the surface he handles best since arriving in Saudi Arabia

Intense for Me on the Riyadh Dirt; He Switches to Turf This Friday / JCSA

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The King Abdulaziz Racecourse is set to stage one of its most significant meetings of the season this Friday, featuring four races worth SAR 1,000,000 and headlined by the Crown Prince Cup (L). But for South American racing, all eyes will be fixed on one name: Intense For Me, the Argentine champion who will make his much-anticipated first start on turf in Saudi Arabia—a pivotal step in his international campaign.

Imported after his victory in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1), the 110-rated chestnut will finally have the chance to showcase his true competitive profile in conditions far better suited to his strengths.

His Saudi debut last February was an uphill task: finishing at the back of the field in the Saudi Cup (G1) after arriving only days before the race, facing a world-class lineup, and dealing with physical setbacks. Yet his recent comeback in October—a fourth over 2000 meters, again on dirt—suggested encouraging signs of adaptation.

Now, returning to 2400 meters, the distance of his Buenos Aires triumph, and doing so on turf for the first time in Saudi Arabia, offers what appears to be an ideal scenario for the champion to reveal his best.

The Crown Prince Cup has drawn a full field of 20, promising sustained pace and a demanding setup for stayers. Among his rivals is Haqeet (Arrogate), who finished ahead of him last time, along with several familiar names:

• Wootton’sun (Wootton Bassett), eighth in the Saudi Cup and last year’s defending champion, who returned with a strong comeback effort.

• Jack Red Cloud (Sioux Nation), winner of the Eastern Governance Region Cup and runner-up in this race a year ago.

But for Intense For Me, the key lies elsewhere: returning to the conditions that made him a star. His ability to sustain a long, powerful run and his genuine stayer’s physique appear particularly suited to Riyadh’s turf, which returns to action this week for the first time this year ahead of February’s Howden Neom Turf Cup (G1)—Saudi Arabia’s first international Group 1 on grass.

Beyond the pivotal Crown Prince Cup, Friday’s program features two SAR 1,000,000 races for 2-year-olds—the HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Cup and the Princess Setah Bint Fahad Aldamer Cup—along with the reopening of the turf course for a 1600-meter handicap and another over 2100 meters, shaping a key day on the road to the country’s new international G1 in 2025.