RIYADH: Last year’s winner of the 2000 Guineas, Mhally (GB), stepped up to the mark 12 months later to earn a place in the 2026 Saudi Cup with victory under in-form Ricardo Ferreira in the Group 3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
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The success in the $400,000 feature at King Abdulaziz Racecourse was part of a Ferreira four-timer and capped a terrific day for the rider who, along with trainer Thamer Al-Daihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Al-Malek Al-Sabah, also won the 2000 Guineas again, this time with Al-Haram (IRE).
Mhally progressed from his 2000 Guineas success to be third on Saudi Cup night in the Derby in 2025 and will be back again this time in the main $20 million event on Feb. 14 after proving his stamina in the qualifier over 1800m.
There were four in with a chance halfway down the home stretch, but Mhally knows where the winning post is at King Abdulaziz and found more when required to deny last year’s US winning rider, Joel Rosario, aboard Ameerat Al-Zamaan (GB) by three-quarters of a length.
