Track manager Bob Turman believes the dirt surface at King Abdulaziz Racecourse will help ensure the $20million Saudi Cup – the world’s most valuable race – is both safe and fair.
The course received rave reviews from some of the world’s top jockeys, including Frankie Dettori, at the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting 12 months ago.
State-of-the-art techniques will ensure the track is again in perfect condition ahead of this year’s two-day meeting on February 19 and 20.
American Turman has a wealth of experience in managing racing surfaces having spent 38 years at Bay Meadows in California before its closure in 2008.
He has been responsible for the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh, which has been compared favourably to Belmont Park in America, for the last eight years.
He said: “My primary responsibility is to create a mixture that goes into this track. We build it a few months before we start racing and then I’m responsible for the maintenance programme. Maintaining the consistency of the track, its nature as far as being kind to the horses, is where lots of my duties lie.
“One of the things that we do here is keep a lot of data. We do penetrometer and moisture readings every day, which is what you would assume would be done to a turf track, but we also do it to the dirt track as we want to have the data that shows we’re being as consistent as we possibly can. I think one of the most important characteristics of a racetrack is that it’s consistent for the horses.
“We have what we call roller-harrows, which are smaller and lighter than many of those used in the USA. It’s an important piece of equipment that carries and cuts the depth that we need. The grader is also very important and the men we have operating it are very good at what they do. On a banked racetrack, dirt has a tendency to migrate downhill, so the grader brushes it back up to maintain the evenness.
“This track has been a very kind track for horses – it’s very soft and yet they get a hold of it very well, so its consistently a good surface. It gives the horses an opportunity to come from off the pace, which is always exciting to see.”
The $20million Saudi Cup – run over 1800m on the dirt track – has attracted more than 100 entries from nine different countries, including 17 Group 1 winners. It is the highlight of next month’s two-day meeting, which also features the International Jockeys’ Challenge and four turf races.
The turf track was created specifically for the first Saudi Cup meeting last year and like the dirt received a host of positive reviews. It will first be in use for the 2021 season on 29 January before hosting four races during the two days in February.