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Friday and Saturday, King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will play host to the world’s richest horserace, the Saudi Cup (G1) worth US$20m. The race is the feature on a sixteen-race two-day fixture with prizemoney totalling US$35.5m.
Historically, horseracing in Saudi Arabia was officially started by the Ministry of Labour in 1965 with the establishment of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. The racecourse was developed in the Malaz region, north of Riyadh. The inaugural race meeting took place on 1 January 1968.
In 2000, the first Volume of the Saudi Arabian Stud Book was produced. In February 2002 King Abdulaziz racecourse held its first race-meeting and has become the home of Saudi Arabian horseracing. Work on the turf track commenced in the first half of 2019 before the announcement of the new Saudi Cup was made in August of that year. The turf course was completed in January 2020 and trialled in the lead-up to the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting in February 2020.
Statistical growth of the sport this century boasts impressive numbers. From less than 3000 starters in 2020, this number has now climbed to excess of 10,000 with the number of races held annually rising from 250 to more than 500 with the average field size being 14. Foals bred in Saudi Arabia have also increased significantly rising almost 200% during the past 20 years.
29 February 2020 saw the inaugural running of the Saudi Cup meeting with Maximum Security victorious. In October 2021 the Saudi Cup was promoted to International G1 status.
The King Abdulaziz racecourse is left-handed with both a dirt and turf track. A 2000m dirt track feature long sweeping bends with horses able to win from the front and behind with minimal kickback. Both the back and fronts straights are 500m with gentle turns of 500m. The Saudi Cup is run over 1800m on the dirt track.
The 1800m turf track has a 478m straight and track width of 21m.
Friday's meeting will include four races of the Jockey's Challenge with some of the world's leading male and female riders taking part headed by international jockey Frankie Dettori, now in his final year of riding. Last years' Champion rider of the competition, Australian Caitlin Jones has returned to defend her title. There will be seven women jockey's taking on an equal number of men. The four races will be run over distances ranging from 1200m-2100m with each event worth US$400,000. Two races will be on dirt and two on turf. Jockey's receive 15% of the prizemoney won from first to fifth placings. A points-based system will be applied for each race with the jockey with the most points after the four races will receive the Trophy.
Saturday' meeting boasts seven Group races with the Saudi Cup (G1) over 1800m the feature. Run on the dirt track, last years' surprise winner, the locally trained, Emblem Road returns to attempt to make it back-to-back victories. Strong representation from the United States with Country Grammer and Taiba from the Bob Baffert stable have arrived in Riyadh in top form both winning their final prep races at Santa Anita in December. The Japanese won four of the six thoroughbred races at the meeting last year and this year will present six of the thirteen runners in the Saudi Cup.
Fifteen racing nations will have runners over the two days. In another first, the 'World Pool', a collaboration of global totalizators will offer betting on the six thoroughbred races.
