Dettori honoured to take part in Saudi race remembering Khalid Abdullah

Italian had many great moments with Enable in late owner’s famous silks.

Frankie Dettori will be remembering the great times he had riding in the famous silks of Prince Khalid Abdullah when he takes part in a race named in honour of the late owner in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

In recent years Dettori built up a magnificent partnership with the John Gosden-trained, Abdullah-owned Enable – winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice, the Breeders’ Cup Turf, three King Georges, the Oaks and Irish Oaks.

King Abdulaziz Racecourse will stage the Prince Khalid Bin Abdullah Cup in which Dettori rides Recovery Run, formerly trained by Andrew Balding and now with Bahrain-based Allan Smith.

Dettori said: “Prince Khalid did amazing things for the sport of horse racing and it’s a pleasure to ride in the race named in his honour.

“He will never be forgotten, and I’ll be forever grateful for all the opportunities I was given to ride for him, not least Enable who gave us all such incredible memories.

“I’ve ridden in Saudi for years and the racing calendar out there is very strong now. Of course, there is the Saudi Cup meeting next month, but there are more good races with top prize money throughout the winter that make it an attractive option for the European jockeys.

“The dirt course is top class, and the turf track is beautiful. It’s fresh every year, you really can’t fault it.

“The Prince Khalid Bin Abdullah Cup on Saturday looks an interesting race, with plenty of familiar names in there like My Frankel and Fabilis.

Khalid Abdullah (second right) with Frankel, Tom Queally and Sir Henry Cecil (right)
Khalid Abdullah (second right) with Frankel, Tom Queally and Sir Henry Cecil (right) (PA Wire)

“I remember I rode Crossed Baton to win the Derby Trial at Epsom a few years back and he only left John’s (Gosden) last year, so he’s interesting too. As for my horse, Recovery Run, he won his last start by 21 lengths, so I’d like to think he’s got a good chance!”

Joining Dettori is former champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa who will be riding Fabilis, formerly owned by Abdullah and trained by Ralph Beckett.

De Sousa said: “It’s a real honour to have been asked and I am looking forward to spending time out there. The racing is good quality and the people are so welcoming.”

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