Lucas Gaitán wraps up another successful year in Saudi Arabia

The Argentine trainer will not have any runners in the Saudi Cup meeting, but he is closing out another successful season

Lucas Gaitán set for Friday action in Riyadh / JCSA

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Lucas Gaitán has become a familiar figure at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, having settled into his role as resident trainer for Athbah Racing Stable over the past few years.

This time around, Gaitán won’t have a runner in the Saudi Cup, unlike in 2024, but he will still be part of the action this Friday when he saddles Alwaqqad (Good Magic) in the Tuwaiq Cup.

“It’s been three and a half years here, and I feel more at home every day—it’s like my second home at this point. Thankfully, everything is going well, and I’m excited for the big event coming up. We don’t have a runner in the big races this year, but we do have one on Friday with a solid chance, so I’m looking forward to it,” said the Argentine trainer, delighted to have fellow countrymen around him for this international gathering.

Asked to assess his season, Gaitán reflected, “We won the top race for three-year-olds at Taif, the summer racecourse, and we’ve picked up plenty of victories along the way. We’ve maintained a strike rate of around 20%, sometimes a little more, which makes me happy because it means we’re delivering results for the people who trust us. Overall, it’s been a pretty solid season.”

Gaitán is also optimistic about the future. “In this sport, you always have to look ahead. Right now, we have around 30 horses in the barn, half of them Arabians and the other half Thoroughbreds. I’d love to see a bit more investment in SPCs (Saudi-bred Thoroughbreds), but we’ve already purchased four yearlings for next season and might add more in April, likely from the United States. In terms of Arabians, we’re well covered—our breeding operation in France has excellent bloodlines, so there’s always quality stock to compete.”

Gaitán has high hopes for Alwaqqad this Friday. “He’s a Good Magic with a top-class pedigree. He was undefeated and won the Saudi Derby qualifier last year, but the day after the race, we examined him and noticed something was off. So, we decided to give him some time off—probably more than we should have—but we wanted to be cautious. He was ready to run twice but had minor setbacks that delayed him. He finally made his return recently, only about 50% fit, with just two works under his belt, and still ran third. That race should set him up nicely for this one.”

When asked about the presence of El Kodigo (Equal Stripes) and Intense for Me (Fortify) in the Saudi Cup, Gaitán was enthusiastic. “It’s a big deal for us to have Argentine horses in this race for the first time, alongside Giustino (Full Mast). Now we just need them to put in strong performances. I believe this year’s Saudi Cup is stronger than last year’s. For us, there’s an added layer of excitement because we have a rooting interest—we want them to do well. The race features some of the world’s best horses, like Forever Young (Real Steel) and Romantic Warrior (Acclamation). Plus, my boss has a runner, Walk of Stars (Dubawi), trained in Dubai by Bhupat Seemar, so for me, it’s an even more special edition. We’re all hoping the Argentine horses perform well and make a strong impression on the world stage.”

Gaitán will remain in Riyadh for at least another season, continuing to build his stable with an eye on Saudi Cup 2026. His results have been encouraging, his owner is becoming more invested, and he remains committed to ensuring the Athbah Racing colors shine on the biggest stages.

Coming from a family deeply rooted in horse racing, Lucas Gaitán stands as a proud representative of Argentine and South American racing on the international scene.