MHALLY DELIVERS IN GROUP 3 SAUDI CUP QUALIFIER

Bolide Porto gains berth in Neom Turf Cup with back-to-back victories in Listed race

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Mhally, winner of last season’s 2000 Guineas, stepped up to the mark 12 months later to earn his place in the 2026 Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m) with victory under the inform Ricardo Ferreira in the Group 3 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup at King Abdulaziz racecourse on Jan 17.

The success in the 1.5 million-ri-yal (S$515,000) feature was part of a Ferreira four-timer and capped a terrific day for the rider who, along with trainer Thamer Aldaihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah, also won the 2000 Guineas (1,600m) again, this time with Al Haram ($18).

Mhally, a son of Sergei Prokofiev, finished third to Golden Vekoma in the 2025 Group 3 Saudi Derby (1,600m) and will contest in the main US$20 million (S$25.8 million) event on Feb 14 this time after proving his stamina in the Saudi Cup Qualifier over 1,800m.

There were four in with a chance halfway down the home stretch, but Mhally ($157) knew where the winning post was and found more when required to deny Joel Rosario — who won aboard Rattle N Roll in 2205 — on board the Sami Alharabi-trained Ameerat Alzamaan by three quarters of a length.

The owner-trainer-jockey combination looks to have another superstar on their hands after the exciting Al Haram’s devastating success in the 2000 Guineas.

The three-year-old son of Iffraaj had won both of his previous starts over the 1,600m trip, but took his form to a new level to qualify for the Saudi Derby on Feb 14.