Photos: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia //Mathea Kelley
26 February 2022, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ~ In a day full of champion races the French colt, Hadi De Carrere (Nieshan x Vicki de Carrere) ridden decisively by veteran jockey Olivier Peslier, swept up in the final strides to capture the 2000m dirt Obaiya Classic, the fifth race on the card ahead of eighth race, the Saudi Cup, at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The US-bred RB Rich Lyke Me (Majd Al Arab x Rich Frynch) was one of the favorites for this race, and under jockey Adrie de Vries, the six-year-old colt ran in striking distance throughout in the field of 14. Cruising home on the rail he may have had the race to himself until overtaken in the final metres by Tilal Al Khalediiah under Saudi jockey A. Alfouraidi and Hadi de Carrere, passing in a head to head battle until an inspired Hadi De Carrere got his nose ahead over the line, putting an end to the Al Khalediah shut out of wins for this race. Win time was 2:16:20.
Rich Lyke Me finished third, and Deryan (Mahabb x Haboob) owned by Yas Horse Racing Mgmt under Ioritz Mendizabal finished fourth.
This is the third running of the race, which has been dominated by the Saudi Al Khalediah Stable won in 2020 by Tallaab Al Khalediah, and in 2021 by Mubasher Al Khalediah.
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