A group of 12 American racehorses, including Maximum Security, McKinzie, Midnight Bisou and Mucho Gusto, arrived in Riyadh on Thursday ahead of the $29.2m (Dh78m) Saudi Cup day. First off the lorry at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse quarantine facility was the Jason Servis-trained four-time Grade 1 winner and a serious $20m Saudi Cup contender, Maximum Security. He was followed by Billy Batts, trained by Peter Miller who will run in the Samba Saudi Derby, and sprint star Legends of War, who is prepared by Doug O’Neill. Garrett Servis, son of trainer Jason who received Maximum Security, said: “He travelled well. I was in touch with the grooms on the flight so I had regular updates. He drank half his water and ate half his feed. We will be out for a hand walk after he gets settled.” All the American horses who landed in Riyadh will have to spend 48 hours inside the quarantine facility before they can head to the main track. The main Saudi Cup, with a $20m prize purse, is the world’s richest race and has attracted more than 140 nominations and 60 trainers from across the globe. The race is on February 29. Tickets for Saudi Cup day and Kingdom Day are available on www.thesaudicup.com.
