A SMALL gathering at King Abdulaziz racecourse on the outskirts of Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday was experiencing a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Four international riders, Frankie Dettori, William Buick, James Doyle and Danny Tudhope had flown in to ride the first official gallop on the new turf track, seeded only 10 weeks earlier, as a key part of the preparation ahead of the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting on Saturday, February 29th.

Soon after 11am the four horses and riders graced the turf and a few minutes later there were many gasps of delight and relief. Most were keen to hear what Dettori, who has been a regular visitor to the Kingdom for more than a quarter of a century, had to say. He was clearly impressed.