Saudi Cup 2026: Forever Young The Favourite For The $20m Showpiece at Riyadh
The Saudi Cup 2026 at Riyadh promises to be a blockbuster renewal, with defending champion Forever Young heading a 14‑runner field as a short‑priced favourite for the world’s richest horse race.
Run over 1m1f (1800m) on dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Saturday’s showpiece will again carry a total purse of 20 million dollars, with fully half of that going to the winner.
The Saudi Cup: History and Prize Money
First staged in 2020, the Saudi Cup was created by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia as the centrepiece of a two‑day international festival at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
The race is run at level weights over 1800m on dirt for horses aged four and older, pitched deliberately between the typical American 9f dirt distance and the 10f of races like the Dubai World Cup.
From its inception it has been marketed as the world’s richest horse race, with the total value now standing at $20 million for the main event alone and around $31.5 million across the meeting.
The winner’s share of $10 million comfortably exceeds the first prize on offer anywhere else, underlining why top American, Japanese, European and local connections now routinely target Riyadh as a key stop on the international dirt calendar.
The roll of honour already includes high‑class dirt performers such as Panthalassa, who gave Japan their first Saudi Cup victory in 2023, and Forever Young, who added a second win for trainer Yoshito Yahagi in 2025.
As the race has grown, so too has its global pull, with Group or Grade 1 winners from more than 20 countries appearing across the card in recent years.
Betting Snapshot and Current Odds
This year’s Saudi Cup has attracted 14 declared runners, with the betting dominated by Forever Young at 8/11, reflecting both his reigning‑champion status and his stellar international campaign.
Behind him, the most obvious danger in the market is Bob Baffert’s Nysos at 10/3, followed by stablemate Nevada Beach at 10/1, giving the American Hall of Famer a powerful two‑pronged assault.
Bishops Bay and Japanese raider Luxor Cafe sit in the mid‑range at around 12/1, appealing each‑way options for those looking to oppose the hot favourite without taking a wild swing.
Proven older stayer Rattle N Roll is available at 20/1, with Sunrise Zipangu and Tumbarumba at 25/1 in what looks a deep second tier of contenders.
Banishing (33/1), Mhally (50/1), Star Of Wonder (66/1), Thundersquall (66/1), Ameerat Alzamaan (66/1) and rank outsider Haqeet at 100/1 complete the line‑up, giving local and regional owners the chance to land a share of the huge pot even if top‑level international dirt form sits elsewhere.
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Forever Young | 8/11 |
| Nysos | 10/3 |
| Nevada Beach | 10/1 |
| Bishops Bay | 12/1 |
| Luxor Cafe | 12/1 |
| Rattle N Roll | 20/1 |
| Sunrise Zipangu | 25/1 |
| Tumbarumba | 25/1 |
| Banishing | 33/1 |
| Mhally | 50/1 |
| Star Of Wonder | 66/1 |
| Thundersquall | 66/1 |
| Ameerat Alzamaan | 66/1 |
| Haqeet | 100/1 |
Forever Young: The Favourite
Forever Young comes into the Saudi Cup 2026 as both defending champion and joint‑top rated dirt horse in the world on the Longines rankings, underlining why bookmakers are reluctant to take him on.
The five‑year‑old Japanese star has compiled a formidable record, including victories in tlast year’s Saudi Cup at Riyadh, plus a Breeders’ Cup Classic success that secured him JRA Horse of the Year honours.
His 2025 Saudi Cup win was achieved in dramatic fashion, outbattling Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in a driving finish that showcased his toughness, gears and ability to quicken late on this very track.
Yoshito Yahagi has again mapped out a spring route built around Riyadh and Meydan, confident that Forever Young recovers unusually quickly from his races and can handle the Saudi‑to‑Dubai turnaround.
Reports from Japan suggest he has returned from his American exploits stronger and heavier, with a carefully calibrated programme of home work before shipping to the Middle East for final sharpening.
From stall 6, he should have options to sit handy without being trapped wide, a similar tactical set‑up to last year’s winning trip.
Rivals Who Could Cause An Upset
If there is to be a boil‑over, the likeliest source is the American challenge, led by Nysos and Nevada Beach from the Baffert barn.
Nysos brings Grade 1 dirt form and the tactical speed that has long been a hallmark of top US middle‑distance performers, while Nevada Beach has mixed it in elite company, including placing efforts in major races like the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Both look tailor‑made for a strong pace over 9f on dirt, and either could capitalise if Forever Young meets trouble from his mid‑gate draw.
Bishops Bay adds further depth for the US, arriving as a Cigar Mile winner purchased to run in the colours of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons, ensuring strong local interest in his performance.
He has the class to sit just behind the speed and pounce late, and at around 12/1 he appeals as one of the more solid each‑way propositions.
Luxor Cafe, representing Noriyuki Hori and ridden by Joao Moreira, brings progressive Japanese dirt form and a neat winning habit that makes him an intriguing challenger stepping into the very top tier.
That said, his last time out was a bit of a disaster and he was never really in contention, finishing 15th in the Champions Cup in December.
Among the bigger prices, Rattle N Roll and Tumbarumba have the kind of battle‑hardened profiles that sometimes see horses outrun their odds in international contests.
Local hope Star Of Wonder is unbeaten in two Riyadh starts and comes here off a Listed King Faisal Cup success, suggesting he knows his way around this unique dirt surface even if the class hike is severe.
Recent Winners and the Dubai World Cup
In its short history, the Saudi Cup has already established a pattern of rewarding high‑class, forward‑going dirt horses with proven international or American graded form.
Japanese star Panthalassa broke new ground for his country when making all in 2023, before Forever Young added another Japanese success in 2025 with his last‑gasp victory over Romantic Warrior.
Between them, those winners underlined how Riyadh has become a focal point for top‑level Japanese raids on the global dirt scene.
Forever Young now bids to become the first dual winner of the Saudi Cup, a feat that would cement his place in the race’s history and mark a remarkable third success in the event for Yahagi.
That quest comes with an added layer of intrigue because he also sits at the head of the ante‑post market for the 2026 Dubai World Cup, the next major stop on the Middle Eastern dirt circuit.
Bookmakers currently quote him around 6/4–2/1 for Meydan, reflecting not only his Breeders’ Cup Classic win and last year’s third in the Dubai World Cup, but also confidence that he can again handle the Saudi‑Dubai double.
If he justifies odds‑on favouritism in Riyadh, those Dubai World Cup prices are likely to shorten even further, with punters keen to stay on the right side of a horse who has repeatedly shown he can travel, adapt and deliver on the biggest nights.
For connections, the task is to balance the immediate lure of another 10‑million‑dollar payday in Saudi Arabia with the wider ambition of adding a Dubai World Cup crown to an already glittering CV.
For punters, the equation is simpler: decide whether Forever Young is as close to bomb‑proof as his odds suggest, or whether the depth of opposition from Baffert’s pair, Bishops Bay, Luxor Cafe and the locally trained brigade offers enough value to bet against a potential legend in the making.
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