$2,500,000 Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap
Al Qareem (IRE) – James Cowley, who is on on duty with trainer Karl Burke’s Group 2 winner, said: “He went for a canter over six furlongs [1200m] on the turf course today and we might take him for something similar on the dirt on Tuesday. He seems good, possibly we’ll give him a full breeze on Thursday if he needs it.”
Echt (JPN) – Galloped for 800m on the dirt track under jockey Yuga Kawada. “It is the first time Yuga has ridden this horse but the jockey had a good contact with him,” assistant trainer Masaki Takano said.
Nate The Great (GB) – Cantered 1600m on Tuesday morning on the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. Maddy O’Meara is overseeing Nate The Great’s preparation for Kingsclere trainer Andrew Balding.
“Nate The Great is good. He travelled over to Saudi Arabia really well and was on the dirt track today cantering 1600m and was absolutely fine. He will do the same tomorrow over 1600m. He is loving life here,” O’Meara said.
Sisfahan (GER) – Fabio Marcialis partnered the 2021 German Derby winner in his exercise. “He went a lap and a quarter on the dirt,” trainer Henk Grewe’s wife Natascha said. “He was only in the quarantine area on Monday. We’re very happy with him. He’s travelled before, he was at the Breeders’ Cup and we’ve been able to get him ready for this at home.”
$1,500,000 Neom Turf Cup presented by Altanfeethi
Sir Busker (IRE) – “He just went for a normal canter on the dirt over seven furlongs [1400m],” Jitka Krajmerova, travelling head groom to trainer William Knight, said. “He galloped before he left home for here so he’s fit and we’ll just keep him ticking over.”
$1,500,000 1351 Turf Sprint presented by stc
Bathrat Leon (JPN) – Last year’s Godolphin Mile winner had an easy piece of work to stretch his legs on the dirt track.
“He has not lost any weight from the long trip to Saudi Arabia and there is no worry about his condition at the moment. His appetite is really good and he feels good. He will gallop on the dirt track tomorrow,” Yusaku Oka, assistant to trainer Yoshito Yahagi, said.
Garrus (IRE) and Pogo (IRE) – The Charlie Hills-trained pair were out together on Tuesday morning. “We just did a normal seven-furlong [1400m] canter on the dirt. It was the first time they had been out on the track,” rider Damian Harris said.
“They’re both in tip-top shape and Charlie is coming out later in the week.”
Resistencia (JPN) – Cantered on the dirt track for a lap and a half. “There can be a lot of activity in the morning but the mare has been very concentrated on cantering so she knows her job. Everything has been going as we planned so far,” assistant trainer Toru Kawakita said.
Songline (JPN) – Last year’s winner will return from a five-month break on Saturday. The five-year-old mare by Kizuna hacked around on the dirt track before having an easy canter on turf to get familiarised with the surface.
“All is going well so far since she arrived in Saudi Arabia,” Keita Sekimoto, assistant to trainer Toru Hayashi, said.
$1,500,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Sports Boulevard
Ryuno Yukina (JPN) – The veteran grey has his first overseas outing on Saturday.
“We spent the first two days letting him get accustomed to the surroundings with an easy canter on the training track,” assistant trainer Daiki Yamada said.
“As we expected, he is conditioning himself quite well and his coat has started to look glossy in the last couple of days. He will have a fast piece of work on the dirt track tomorrow.”
$1,000,000 Al Mneefah Cup presented by the Ministry of Culture
Teema (FR) – A Group 1 winner at Longchamp in France last October, the smart mare has taken the travel in her stride.
“She’s an experienced traveller so I’m very happy with her,” trainer Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte said. “She just did one and a half laps of steady cantering today.”
$500,000 Saudi International Handicap presented by Al Rajhi Bank
Master Bloom (SWE) – “I galloped him on the turf course just now and he felt good,” track rider Helene Reboul said.
“I was happy with how he went. He ran in this race last year and didn’t do so well but he has had a wind operation since then and his form is much better now so we are hoping that means he runs a better race.”
Revamp (USA) – “He was on the turf track this morning, he was nice and relaxed,” trainer Christos Theodorakis said.
“He is a top horse in Greece at this distance. He was beaten last time over seven furlongs [1400m], but that distance was too short. He seems good to us and ready to run to his best. We would be very happy if he finished in the money because it is a strong race.”
Stronger Together (GB) – “He is training well,” trainer Ingrid Janackova Koplikova said.
“He has been in good form in France since he won his last race at Nancy in November and this has been the plan since then, to come here fresh and well and I am happy with him. He has the lightest weight and we have a good jockey, Cristian Demuro, so we are hopeful.”