2026 Saudi Cup day review: From early desks to Forever Young’s $20m masterclass

With so much racing to look forward to, I arrived at the track bright and early to avoid a scrum for the best desks to be able to get in and out of the media centre with ease.

Six hours before the first race and some had already labelled desks in advance with little name tags but despite the early morning temperatures, I still kept my cool (it reminded me of a certain nationality and their penchant for holiday sun beds), and I was soon set up and on the wi-fi ready for action.

First up, we have the nitty-gritty and entry fees to the track. Grandstand access works out at about £44 per person and £22 for children, which did surprise me as I was expecting less – but then again, we are talking about the World’s richest race and even in Saudi Arabia, the figures still need to add up.

Food and drink are less of a “thing” here than in other places I could mention (drink, especially with no alcohol strictly enforced), but there are still goodies to be had in the food and beverage area (why do I always think of Bovril when I hear the word “beverage”, far from suitable in these temperatures).

For exclusive stories and all the detailed Racing news you need, subscribe to the Racing Ahead website, digital edition, or magazine from as little as 8p a day.

First impressions

Seating looks pretty much the same as any racecourse in the World, while the hospitality suites looked very plush indeed, though the one I tracked down for pricing included an all-day international buffet, and all for “just” £1,646 or so per person – so I think I will give that one a miss, this year at least.

Other options were fairly limited but no worse or better than back home, and I was warmly welcomed to the Time For London unit where they were serving all the British favourites including Fish and Chips (65), Circus Burgers (45), and Katus Chicken Burgers (45), though I saw little reason to point out that is hardly a top UK dish!

Teas, coffees, and sodas were 15 each with zero alcohol beer for 20 – but even a battle-hardened scribe like me didn’t feel that desperate for a drink!

Overall, it had a 9/10 feel for me, some variety, OK prices (by UK standards anyway), and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, though the crowds arrived in dribs and drabs with the high society couples waiting until just before the first contest or after, fashionably late, I suppose.

Race 1

On to the racing (and we have plenty of it, nine races in total), and with a surprisingly brisk wind blowing into the horse’s faces up the straight, I was wondering whether a touch more stamina might be needed than is normally the case with front-runners potentially facing a slight disadvantage.

The first race was now a nine-furlong handicap in the dirt, and although I had no skin in the game, I always watch the first race regardless, even if it is too late for any clue for future winners on the card.

With $900,000 for the winner, it came as no shock to see a full 20 runner field go to post, but as I know zero about local racing, I was more interested in the jockeys.

Oisin Murphy was on board the dropped in class Fallat Kheir, with Mickael Barzalona, who took the International Jockeys challenge here on Friday, riding Motathabetah and understandably, those were the ones I had more interest in, with the Premium Tap filly seemingly hard to keep out of the front three.

As we now know (it’s all easy after the event), the race went to Tahzeem for trainer Fahad Saad and jockey Flavien Prat, at odds of about 7/1 back home in the UK (no betting here, obviously), though he needed a strong ride to hold on with the likes of Ibn Toulon closing fast to be beaten a head, leaving Misaaeel to follow then home in third – aren’t you glad I didn’t try to find the winner in advance in that one!

Race 2

If there was a bar, I may have headed there for the Arab race that came up next, not out of disrespect but out of embarrassing ignorance.

One day, I may find the time to dig deeper, but for now, it was a race to watch, not to get involved in, but I have to say, looking at them in the paddock, they are just as beautiful as their thoroughbred counterparts.

Most of the racing press didn’t even acknowledge that the races existed (shame on you), but you could bet on it in the UK, and that was all I had to go on as I looked for a horse to cheer into last place.

I wish I were paid by the word here as Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah headed the betting at a best priced 2/1, while Najeeb Alzaman was also well supported, along with A A Rx Burn and Al Zeer were nibbled at in the each way market.

Those creating those odds may know more than me, or they may be guessing, but it won’t be long until we find out.

Staying in the air-conditioned media room for a more detailed view of the race, the first thing that struck me was the number of greys – is this an Arab racing thing, that’s something I need to investigate?

Plenty were rousted along bright and early, considering they had a mile and a quarter to travel, with Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah taking them along for over three-quarters of the race before being gunned down late on by First Classs under Connor Beasley for trained Doug Watson, and then tiring to lose second place to Vizhir, which seemed a little harsh.

Listed Tuwaiq Cup

Next up was the Listed Tuwaiq Cup, where (you guessed it), I mentioned the winner, then went for something else – typical!

Murphy was on board Michael Schofield, who used to race in Ireland for Michael O’Callaghan, winning twice on the all-weather at Southwell.

Once again, they went hell for leather from the start, and once again, the long-time leader was reeled in late on, though in this case it was Final Destination who came home in second and Waqtuk in third, while my choice languished back in fifth but still picked up $50,000 for doing so.

Saudi Derby

In all honesty, the racing moves up a gear starting NOW with the Saudi Derby, “only” a Group Three but surely not for long?

Although watching live (why come here if I can’t enjoy the races), I needed to watch a few replays before giving you my thoughts/making my excuses.

First up, number 14 (Tokai Ma Cherie) got seriously het up pre-race and was never going to get home over the mile after that, but this race gets filed under “do jockeys look at previous races”?

Seriously though, both my suggestion Satono Voyage and eventual runner-up Obliteration went far too hard too early on or near the front end, and although everyone present thought the Japanese challenger would go on for an easy victory, he weakened at the end of the battle as local challenger, the Abdullah Alsidrani trained and Ricardo Ferreira ridden Al Haram ran them down to win going away.

Last seen winning the Saudi 2000 Guineas by over seven lengths, my lack of local knowledge saw me ignore the son of Iffraaj who was a thoroughly deserving winner in the end, and you should have seen (and heard) the unbridled joy of all of his connections, from groom to owner, the one thing that remains a constant around the world over, regardless of the prize money.

Speaking after the race, jockey Ricardo Ferreira said: “It was very special because I think this horse is the best one I have ridden in my life.

“When we came outside in the stretch, he was amazing. I thought I could win for the last 400m. It’s a dream, and I hope I can get more winners for the stable. It has been a brilliant campaign here in Riyadh.”

Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint

The races feel like they are coming thick and fast now, and although I am still eagerly awaiting our first turf contest, before that, we have the Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint over a little shy of six furlongs.

Imagination heads the market for Bob Baffert at a fraction off odds against (11/10), but as we have already seen today, shocks aren’t so much possible as likely on the dirt this afternoon.

This time I had to right (it happens, just not often enough) as once again they went way too fast on the front end only to be reeled in close home.

This time it was Just Beat The odds and Lovesick Blues (appropriate on Valentines Day) who rolled into the straight looking all set for a ding-dong battle, but as they started to flounder late on it was the five-year-old son of Into Mischief who found the most late on, powering down the centre of the track for a three-quarter length success, with American Stage a gallant fourth.

Bob told the waiting press after the race: “Now we can afford to go home! We brought a good one there.

“I usually hate the stretch here, but today I liked it.”

Flavien Prat, jockey, added: “He broke a step slow and then I got squeezed, but I felt very confident when we hit the turn, he was travelling very well and kicked on good.

“I think he’s going to keep improving. Bob always loved him; it took him a bit of time to figure it out, but with time, he’s just getting better and better.”

Race 6

The green stuff next, grass, turf – for me, the real McCoy (though I accept dirt is big in the rest of the World.

Lazzat (6/4 in the UK) was or is the best horse in the race; I have zero doubt about that, but that does not mean he will win. Racing is never as simple as that.

Days off, travelling, a different climate can all affect the result, but that’s my excuses out of the way, and down to the race itself.

As the stalls opened, it was the Japanese horse Shin Forever who tried to lead them all a merry dance while Lazzat was urged along early from the 12 stall to get a good position.

Turning into the straight and Lazzat had them all in trouble, scooting clear for what looked likely to be an easy success, but whether his early efforts from a poor draw or the lack of a recent race took their toll, we will never know, as (yet again), the late leader was run down close home.

This time it was Irad Ortiz Jnr on the David Fawkes trained Reef Runner who got up to win by a neck and make it a sprint double for the Americans after Imagination earlier on the dirt, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave in third.

Neom Cup

Three to go, but only one more I care about on the turf with the Neom Cup and surely, with five of the 11 strong field, we would see a European winner at last?

Royal Champion heads the betting back home for Karl Burke (whose Holloway Boy was an unlucky second in Doha in the last hour), and I was “on” Shin Emperor, but the way today has gone so far, I was not exactly feeling confident.

After Lazzat’s defeat, I would not have been surprised had Silawi rubbed salt into the wound, but no, it was a “you couldn’t make it up” story.

I sat with Karl watching his runner in Doha and then stood in awe as his Royal Champion showed a devastating turn of foot to win by five lengths or so!

Impressive winner

How Karl can get a run like that out of an eight-year-old is beyond me, putting younger, higher-rated horses to the sword, but he was the most impressive winner on the night so far, and I can’t think of a trainer more deserving either.

As for Shin Emperor, different (unsuccessful) tactics were tried after he raced on the lead to win this race last year, but he finished a never-nearer fourth, beaten nearly seven lengths at the line, and behind both Facteur Cheval and Survie at the line for a European-trained one-two-three.

Karl said straight afterwards: “It was superb. He’s a very forward-going horse, he’s quite keen at home – he’s not a runaway, but we just wanted him to get in a nice rhythm behind a decent pace.

”Once he gets a bit of cover, he just travels lovely, and Oisin has pulled it off fantastically well. I was so confident once he was turning in that position.”

Murphy added: “He was amazing. I feel really sorry for Clifford Lee, Karl Burke’s stable jockey, who is recovering from an injury at the moment.

“Karl came here with a lot of confidence and the horse was excellently prepared and push-button.

“This is a very big race, God rest His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and I’m glad his horses are still carrying on his legacy.”

Saudi Cup

I decided to use the Group Two handicap as a chance to type up a few more notes, leaving me with just one more race – the $20,000,000 Saudi Cup on the dirt over nine furlongs, where Forever Young was trading heavily odds-on – surely he could not be beaten on a day when the Japanese were yet to hit the bullseye?

The answer, as you all know by now, is a resounding NO, class told in the end as he had the perfect passage throughout, though why no-one shut the door on his run up the inside is beyond me (as an armchair jockey)?

To be honest, you could call him the winner a long way out; he was travelling that well, and although Bob Baffert’s Nysos did throw down a challenge of sorts, he never really looked likely to get past the favourite.

I can remember listening to his trainer telling me he was the best dirt horse in Japan, but he wasn’t sure if that meant much, as all the best races there are on the turf.

It seems fair to say he is now the best dirt horse in the world by a wide margin.

Interestingly, as a five year old with all his “equipment” if he was a turf horse he would probably be rushed off to stud now (if not before), but while he can compete and win $10,000,000 here plus $3,600,000 for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and potentially another $7,000,000 for the Dubai World Cup next month there is every chance he will hang around another year earning more money on the track than he would do in the breeding sheds. 

Unbelievable

Yoshito Yahagi, the trainer of Forever Young, said: “He gave me an unbelievable feeling all the time through the race.

“Of course, I had a lot of pressure on me before the race as he was the best in the field.

“I think it’s not my training that makes him this great horse; I think the horse is just made like a champion and I have little to do with it.

“Of course, our next target is the Dubai World Cup, so that is what we have to concentrate on now. And then, well, I have no idea.

“Last year, it didn’t work out in the Dubai World Cup; he just wasn’t good enough.

“We will try our best to win it this year. Ryusei Sakai was my apprentice, my stable jockey and he developed and improved as he grew up. And he has become a really good jockey for us.”

See you in Dubai, Yoshito, one of the friendliest trainers you could ever hope to meet.

Conclusion

Top class racing, a beautiful racetrack, and warm weather – other than no alcohol, what’s not to like?

If you are ever thinking of coming along, I can recommend it for the racing and the weather alone, though, as I have found to my cost once more, working out formlines between different countries on varying surfaces is not the easiest thing to do!      

Sean Trivass was a guest of the Jockey Club Of Saudi Arabia and would like to thank them all for their help over the week.

READ MORE: Saudi Cup 2026 preview: Forever Young set to defend crown as Riyadh riches lure global stars