Inaugural Saudi Cup adds two more races to card

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (second from left), during the inauguration of the Saudi Cup in Riyadh. - Twitter

Dubai - The event, which takes place on February 29 next year, will see an international race for Arabian horses and a handicap race for thoroughbreds trained in the Kingdom

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will roll out the red carpet when it hosts the richest horse race in the world early next year. And the addition of two more races to an already rich card, makes it even bigger and better.
The inaugural event, which was first announced by Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club Of Saudi Arabia, in Saratoga in August, will see a total of eight races being contested on February 29.
Five races will be run on dirt and the remaining three on turf at the scenic King Abdulaziz Racetrack in the Saudi capital.
And to uphold the legacy of the famed Purebred Arabians and give a more Saudi Arabian feel to it, the event will see an international race for Arabian horses contested over 10 furlongs (2000 metres) and a handicap race for thoroughbreds trained in the Kingdom over nine furlongs (1800 metres). Both will be run on dirt.
The piece de resistance will undoubtedly be the Saudi Cup, worth a whopping $20 million, with the winning horse getting $10 million.
The addition of the two races will see the prize purse for the evening go up to $29.2 million. The prestigious Dubai World Cup, which is held on the last Saturday of March every year, remains the world's richest race day with $35 million.
"Our people have raced their horses across the dunes for many centuries," Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal said at an event held at the Fairmont Hotel in Riyadh on Monday night.
"Today, that passion is a mature sport with 50 years of organisation behind us. The Saudi Cup will help us demonstrate our sport to our fellow Saudis, and it is our hope that this marvellous day of sport will excite new generations with the thrill of racing," he added.
Prince Bandar felt that the Saudi Cup will create an iconic moment in the racing calendar.
"For the first time, Saudi jockeys, trainers and owners will be able to pit their talents and their horses against some of the best in the sport. The chance to compete against the world's finest is the chance to learn from the best. The Saudi Cup is about creating an iconic moment in the global racing calendar, but also - at its heart - it is about growing our sport in the Kingdom for the Kingdom," he said.
Prince Bandar also revealed that at least two places in each of the seven international races - including the $20m Saudi Cup itself and the three races on the new turf course at King Abdulaziz Racetrack - would be reserved for Saudi-trained horses.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 

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