Scotland Yard to return in JCSA Cup

RIYADH – Listed Tuwaiq Cup (1,800m) winner Scotland Yard is set for his first start of the campaign. He heads a field of six runners in the 165,000 riyals (S$56,800) Group 3 JSCA Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Dec 20.

His regular partner and champion jockey Adel Alfouraidi will be aboard the Nicolas Bachalard-trained six-year-old again, having won three of his four starts last campaign – culminating with his near six-length demolition job in the Tuwaiq Cup on Feb 21.

The Quality Road six-year-old was supposed to resume in an 1,800m race on Nov 22, but the plan did not materialise, and his French trainer has picked the Group 3 feature for him instead.

The seven-time winner, who ran eighth to the Todd Fincher-trained Senor Buscador in the 2024 Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m), faces tough opposition in the highlight event.

The Red Stable of Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz fields Wait To Excel, who finished eighth behind Forever Young in the 2025 Saudi Cup and was second in an Open race (2,000m) on Nov 29. The son of Postponed will be ridden by Muhammad Aldaham.

There is also Electability – who has Camilio Ospina in the irons – from the White Stable of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, and also Man Of The Night from trainer Thamer Aldaihani’s yard. Man Of The Night will have his last-start race partner Ricardo Ferreira on board.

The main supporting event is the 150,000 riyals Saeed Al Majed Cup (2,000m), in which trainer Lucas Gaitan’s 2024 Saudi Derby Qualifier (1,600m) winner Alwaqqad has his third start of the season under Alexis Moreno.

Having finished down the field behind Scotland Yard in the Tuwaiq on Feb 21, the Good Magic four-year-old showed more at his latest start in an Open race (2,000m) when third behind the Abdulrahman Alrashed-trained Thundersquall on Nov 29.

Fifteen runners have been declared for the 130,000 riyals Rashed Bin A. Al-Zenaidy Award for three-year-olds over 1,200m. The action should centre around last season’s Sarawat Cup winner Karimi and Kawafill, who seeks a hat-trick after wins in both Taif and Riyadh.

On the 10-race meeting on Dec 20, the 150,000 riyals Ministry of Education Cup for juveniles headlines the action.

The 1,400m event features 19 runners, including the Red Stable’s pair of Ela Alamam and Nayaad. Ferreira is on board Ela Alamam, and he has guided the Sami Alharabi-trained two-year-old colt to two-from-two to date.

The White Stable is also represented by Ma’aha Allah, who has finished second in two starts, and debut Taif winner Nasrak Allah.

The meeting on Dec 20 also has three competitive turf races. In the opening 1,200m Open race, Red Stable’s runner Zefzaf goes up against French import Cacofonix.

Trained by Alharabi, Zefzaf was a rising star last season when with Jimmy Jerkins, winning three times and finishing second in the Turf Sprint Qualifier (1,351m) on Jan 24.

Now, the Mo Town five-year-old tackles the French Listed winner Cacofonix, who has joined the White Stable after having been owned by the Wertheimer brothers in Europe.

The well-bred three-year-old by Lope De Vega is the winner of three from nine starts, and was last seen finishing sixth in a Group 3 race on Aug 30. He was sold for €460,000 (S$697,000) in October.

Malyan beat Zefzaf in the Turf Sprint Qualifier before finishing ninth to Ascoli Piceno in the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint (1,351m) on Feb 2.

The Twilight Son four-year-old heads a full field of 10 in the Open contest (1,351m) slated as the third race on the card.

The Open race (2,100m) features the White Stable’s smart Bolide Porto, who ran third in an Open race (1,800m) last start on Nov 22.

He was not disgraced in the Group 2 Howden Neom Turf Cup (2,100m) – which has now been upgraded to Group 1 status – on Feb 22. JOCKEY CLUB OF SAUDI ARABIA