A group of 28 group 1 winners has been put forward for this year's $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), which will take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh Feb. 22.
Last year's Dubai World Cup (G1) winner, Laurel River, could face Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) victor Sierra Leone. Other horses nominated include three-time Hong Kong Cup (G1) winner Romantic Warrior, 2024 Kentucky Derby winner (G1) Mystik Dan, and last year's Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador.
Other notable runners that could feature in the one-turn, 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) contest are last year's Saudi Derby (G2) winner, Forever Young, 2024 Japanese Derby (G1) winner Danon Decile, as well as Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) star, Soul Of An Angel and five-time Argentine group 1 winner El Kodigo.
Including the feature race, the two-day Saudi Cup meeting has attracted 1,123 entries—comprising of 81 individual group 1 winners—from a total of 21 countries who will fight it out for $38.1 million in prize money on offer across the Saudi Cup weekend Feb. 21-22.
Japanese-trained Warp Speed, runner-up in the Melbourne Cup (G1) in his previous start, holds an entry for the newly upgraded Red Sea Turf Handicap (G2) and could be joined in the field by the UK-trained Al Nayyir, who finished fourth in the 2024 renewal of the race and Continuous, the 2023 St Leger winner.
The Sir Alex Ferguson-owned Spirit Dancer has been given the chance of defending his crown in the Neom Turf Cup (G2) and could line up alongside Japan Cup (G1) runner-up Shin Emperor and Danon Beluga, while dual group 1 winners, Measured Time and Al Riffa could represent the UAE and Ireland, respectively.
The 1351 Turf Sprint (G2) entries are headed by last year's winner Annaf and 2024 Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) victor Lazzat, with Japanese group 1 winners Ten Happy Rose and Ascoli Piceno also entered.
Remake is set to bid for consecutive wins in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2), which will be run as a group 2 for the first time, with other notable entrants including Golden Shaheen (G1) winner Tuz and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Straight No Chaser.
Last year's Saudi Derby (G3) saw a Japanese victor in Forever Young, and another Japanese horse tops this year's entries in the unbeaten Myriad Love, while Getaway Car for the USA, Al Qudra, and the Argentine group 1 winner Giustino are also entered.
The Saudi Cup program on Friday is also highlighted by the International Jockeys Championship featuring seven male and seven female jockeys from around the world.
HRH Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said: "On behalf of everyone at the JCSA, I would like to extend my thanks to owners and trainers from around the world for their nominations for the 2025 Saudi Cup meeting. We are proud to be top of mind for the trainers of the world's best from more than 20 countries, including so many that have won at the highest level.
"Horse racing thrives on international competition, and we believe that the Saudi Cup is the perfect event to showcase the best of global racing. The Saudi Cup itself is the pinnacle of our racing season and in a few short years has become a truly global race. This year's renewal looks perhaps the strongest yet.
"Horse racing and celebrating the brilliance of both the Thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian are at the heart of traditional culture in Saudi Arabia, and events such as The Saudi Cup play a big role in engaging the local community in all aspects of the sport. As we continually improve our offering, through race upgrades and further investment, the Kingdom continues to grow as a destination for horse racing, both domestically and internationally.
"We look forward to welcoming all connections to King Abdulaziz Racecourse next month for what promises to be another unforgettable Saudi Cup meeting."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
