Forever Young Among 57 Group 1 Winners Nominated To 2026 Saudi Cup Programme

[Wandering Eyes]

The nominees for the 2026 G1 Saudi Cup meeting feature 57 Group/Grade 1 winners from 22 different countries, among them GI Breeders' Cup Classic and 2025 Saudi Cup hero Forever Young (Real Steel). The two-day stand on February 13-14 will be worth $39.6 million in prize-money.

Besides trainer Yoshito Yahagi's star in the main event are fellow Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day), GI Preakness Stakes hero Journalism (Curlin), as well as GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Nysos (Nyquist), and GII Clark Stakes winner Magnitude (Not This Time). G1 Champions Cup heroine W Heart Bond (Kizuna) and G1 Tokyo Daishoten one-two Diktaean (King Kamehameha) and Mikki Fight (Drefong) add depth to Japan's challenge.

In the newly elevated $3-million G1 Neom Turf Cup sponsored by Howden includes two-time Breeders' Cup hero Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), G2 Bahrain International Trophy winner Royal Champion (Shamardal), and Aidan O'Brien's multiple Group 1-placed The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars).

Besides the Group 1s on tap for Saturday, the $2.5-million G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap features turf stayers Durezza (Duramente) for Japan and Joseph O'Brien's Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett). Among the nominees for the $2-million G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint are Book'em Danno (Bucchero), and Bentornato (Valiant Minister), as well as Meydan Group 1 winners Tuz (Oxbow) and Dark Saffron (Flameaway). In the $2-million 1351 Turf Sprint are GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Shisospicy (Mitole) and Group 1 winner Lazzat (Territories). In The $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby, G1 Premio Derby Nacional hero Khamal (Mendelssohn) is signed on.

During Friday's card, the International Jockey Challenge will be staged, and the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap sponsored by LUCID will take place. Nominees specifically for the Saudi Cup itself are listed here.

HRH Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said, “This is only the seventh time we have staged the Saudi Cup meeting and it has already delivered countless memorable races and performances.

“We are delighted and honoured that so many people have chosen to aim their horses for the 2026 Saudi Cup races and, on behalf of everyone at the JCSA, I would like to extend our gratitude to those owners and trainers.

“It has been especially pleasing to see the races recognised by the international authorities, too. The Saudi Cup has held Group 1 status since 2022 but we will now be staging our first ever Group 1 race on grass, the Neom Turf Cup, after its consistent level of performance.

“The Saudi Cup meeting is not only about world-class racing; it is a celebration of the horse as well as the culture and the hospitality of the Kingdom. The list of nominations only increases the excitement and we look forward to welcoming connections and racing fans alike next month for an event that has quickly made a huge impact on the global calendar.”

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