Shamardal’s Royal Champion Earns First Group 1 In Neom Turf Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

Royal Champion (Shamardal) and Oisin Murphy thrashed a quality field in the G1 Neom Turf Cup, presented by Howden in Riyadh on Saturday. It was the first year the race had been elevated to Group 1. The win was especially poignant, as the winner's prominent owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum had died recently.

Stalking in midfield under a relaxed Oisin Murphy, the eight-year-old employed a stunning turn of foot to take command in the stretch and obliterate the opposition. Group 1 hero Facteur Cheval (Ribchester) was a distant second approximately five lengths behind. Group winner and multiple Group 1-placed Survie (Churchill) was third. The final time for the 2100 metres on turf was 2:06.23.

A strong winner of the G2 York Stakes, the Karl Burke trainee is a homebred and a half-brother to G2 Jockey Club Stakes hero Outbox (Frankel).

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP (Presented by Howden)-G1, $3,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-14, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.22, gd.
1–ROYAL CHAMPION (IRE), 126, g, 8, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Emirates Queen (GB) (GSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $115,027), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Zomaradah (GB), by Deploy (GB)
3rd Dam: Jawaher (Ire), by Dancing Brave
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Exors Of The Late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; T-Karl Burke; J-Oisin Murphy; $1,800,000. Lifetime Rsecord: MGSW-Eng, GSW-Bhr, GISP-Can, G1SP-Ire, 24-9-2-4, $3,143,881. *1/2 to Outbox (GB) (Frankel {GB}), GSW-Eng, MGSP-Swe, SW-Qat, SP-Fr, $1,020,401. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Facteur Cheval (Ire), 126, g, 7, Ribchester (Ire)–Jawlaat (Ire), by Shamardal. (145,000gns Wlg '19 TATDEF; €120,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Team Valor International & Gary Barber; B-McCracken Farms; T-Jerome Reynier; J-Mickael Barzalona; $600,000.
3–Survie (Ire), 121, m, 5, Churchill (Ire)–Sotteville (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire). (1,900,000gns HRA '25 TATDEC). O-Mrs Doreen Tabor; B-Franklin Finance SA; T-George Boughey; J-Ryan Moore; $300,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 1HF, HF.
Also Ran: Shin Emperor (Fr), Yamanin Bouclier (Jpn), Silawi (Ire), Alohi Alii (Jpn), Direct Security (Ire), Phantom Flight (GB), Bolide Porto (Ire), Galen (GB). Click for the JCSA chart (R7) and VIDEO SC 6).

Royal Champion readily lands the G1 Neom Turf Cup pic.twitter.com/YKYzmmGBj6

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 14, 2026

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