About the race
The Saudi Cup is staged by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. The club’s 2026-27 Riyadh racing programme lists it as a Group 1 over 1800m for four-year-olds and upwards, as race 9 on Saturday 6 February 2027, the second night of the two-day Saudi Cup meeting. The 2026 running was worth USD 20,000,000.
The club dates the race’s inaugural running to 2020 and records its promotion to Group 1 in its account of 2022. Forever Young won in 2025, beating Romantic Warrior, and on 14 February 2026 became the first two-time winner, ridden by Ryusei Sakai for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, with Nysos a length second. The IFHA ranked the race 16th in the world for 2025, with a rating of 121.00.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forever Young (JPN) | n/v | n/v | n/v |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 February 2026 | Forever Young (JPN) | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | n/v |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Venue
- King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh
- Meeting
- Saudi Cup meeting, 5 and 6 February 2027; the Saudi Cup is race 9 on the Saturday card
- Two-time winner
- Forever Young (2025 and 2026), the first horse to win the race twice
- IFHA 2025 ranking
- Rank 16, race rating 121.00
Questions readers ask
When is the Saudi Cup run?
In February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh. The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has scheduled the 2027 running for Saturday 6 February 2027.
What is the prize fund of the Saudi Cup?
USD 20,000,000 in 2026, according to the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.
Who won the Saudi Cup in 2025?
Forever Young, who beat Romantic Warrior, according to the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. He won again on 14 February 2026, becoming the first two-time winner of the race.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- The Saudi Cup 2027 (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)
- Forever Young shines once more for second straight Saudi Cup (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, 14 February 2026)
- Riyadh Racing Season 2026-2027 programme (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, August 2026)
- The story so far of The Saudi Cup (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)
