Former Mike de Kock resident Janoobi is still on his A-game at the age of 9 and won his second start in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Winner of the SA Guineas here, Janoobi won the 2018 Zabeel Mile at Meydan for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and had his last race for Mike de Kock in March 2019 in the Gr1 Jebel Hatta, when finishing sixth.
Janoobi (outside) wins the SA Guineas
He was sold and reappeared in Saudi Arabia in the care of trainer AM Al Qhatani in December 2021. Racing in the silks of owner Saad bin Mishriff bin Shanan he finished 5 lengths off first up.
The now 9yo son of deceased multiple SA Champion sire Silvano carried 59kgs when winning an open R400 000 top division handicap on dirt at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack on Wednesday.
It was his 6th lifetime win and took his total earnings to R5 697 000.
Watch the race here:
Bred by Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd, Janoobi is out of the Rakeen mare Shasta Daisy and was a R1,2 million Cape Premier Yearling Sale buy.
According to leading bloodstock man Robin Bruss, who kindly provided the news of Janoobi’s win, Saudi Arabia is the one region of the world where racing is extremely popular and is growing at a fast rate. The country also has a substantial breeding industry, unlike other Middle East countries.
Their racing programme increased this year by 30%. They run 11 races per card and race every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until the end of April.
As it gets very hot in the summer they move the races up to the mountains North of Jeddah to Taif and they start racing again on 10 June until moving back to Riyad on 1 October.
Field sizes are usually 16 per race
Minimum purse is a Maiden Plate worth the equivalent of R350 000
The majority of horses are homebred because a large percentage of races – around 70% are restricted to local bred.
Therefore the broodmare population is double that of South Africa and there are over 500 stallions. Most owners of mares have their own stallions.
The Saudi Cup, which will be run as a Gr1 for the first time in February, remains the world’s most valuable horse race at $20million, while five thoroughbred races on the Saturday card have been awarded Group 3 status.
Prize money for both the Gr3 Neom Turf Cup and Gr3 1351 Turf Sprint has increased by $500,000 to $1.5million. The Obaiya Arabian Classic, a $1m contest for Purebred Arabian horses has been promoted to a Gr2 race by the IFAHR.
