抖阴短视频

DUBAI: With the second running of the world鈥檚 richest horse race only days away, two of Bahrain鈥檚 leading trainers have their eyes firmly fixed on plundering the top races on Saudi Cup weekend with Fawzi Nass and Allan Smith both once again bidding to make a mark at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

The returning trainers will have interest across the weekend on both Saudi Cup day - Saturday Feb. 20 - and the International Jockeys Challenge the previous day.

A year ago, at the inaugural Saudi Cup, Nass made history when his Port Lions won the very first race on turf in the Kingdom, and the Bahrain native is back once again with his stable star Simsir, while Smith鈥檚 Dark Power will attempt back-to-back wins in the $1 million STC 1351 Turf Sprint on Saturday.

Frankie Dettori was aboard Dark Power when the seven-year-old saw off a field of world-class sprinters last year and the Italian will renew the partnership having paid Smith a recent visit to his Royal Stables in Hamala.

Smith also plans to saddle Rayounpour in the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi International Handicap on the Friday and was deeply impressed with the inaugural event last year.

Nass too still fondly recalls last year鈥檚 meeting, at which his Port Lions floored the international headliner and Japanese raider Deirdre in the Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (The Neom Turf Cup).

鈥淚t was an amazing experience, we went there knowing that we had a chance to nick a place in that race, but obviously everyone thought Deirdre had the race done and dusted,鈥� said Nass.

鈥淏ut he obviously fought Deirdre all the way to the line and overall, it was an amazing day and the feeling was good.鈥�

Port Lions was a solid fourth to his stablemate Simsir in the Bahrain International Trophy last November and that pair along with Desert Lion and What A Welcome lead Nass鈥� Riyadh mission.

Simsir arrived in Bahrain from Mick Halford鈥檚 Irish yard and heads for the feature $20 million Saudi Cup after tuning up for the event with a fourth-place finish in the Crown Prince Cup on January 29.

鈥淗e鈥檚 doing well,鈥� said Nass, who has been training since the turn of the century.

鈥淗e obviously won the Bahrain International Trophy and he鈥檚 had an easy time since.

鈥淲e thought if we鈥檙e going to go to Saudi, we need to get a run into him so ran him in the Crown Prince Cup where he was beaten by two lengths. Things didn鈥檛 go his way, he missed the break and had to come from behind, which doesn鈥檛 suit a galloping horse like him. He did well and he didn鈥檛 disgrace himself. We鈥檙e happy with that being his prep run for the The Saudi Cup.鈥�

Of other running plans, Nass added: 鈥淒esert Lion, What A Welcome and New Show, the actual winner of the Crown Prince Cup last, are all going for the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi International Handicap the day before Saudi Cup day.鈥�

Both Smith and Nass are in agreement over the importance of the expansion of the horseracing industry in 抖阴短视频, with the latter saying: 鈥淩acing in almost all the Gulf countries has really improved and picked up over the last few years.

鈥淪audi has played a big part and there鈥檚 been a huge improvement with The Saudi Cup meeting now in place. I believe Prince Bandar and the management in place did an excellent job last year, and I鈥檓 sure they鈥檒l do an even better job this year.鈥�

Smith added: 鈥淥verall it has improved the profile of the area in general. What 抖阴短视频 did with The Saudi Cup in its first year was just unbelievable, and they achieved a very high standard.

鈥淭he quality of racing throughout the Middle East has got very competitive.鈥�