Saudi Arabia to Host World’s Richest Horse Race in 2020
The Saudi Cup, a competition set to be valued at $20m, will be held in King Abdul Aziz Racetrack in Riyadh on February 29th, 2020. It will take place after the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream and before the Dubai World Cup. This extravagant 1,800-meter race will be the world’s richest horse race, with a grand prize for the first place horse at $10m and another $10m divided among the rest of the top 10.
Horse enthusiasts can participate and enter for free. The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia will also fund shipment, flight, and accommodation costs for every horse’s team. Many world-class champions have tested the track and were impressed by the dirt quality.
According to Arab News, French champion, Olivier Peslier stated: “King Abdul Aziz Racetrack is one of the best dirt tracks in the world — a wonderful track. And I know that the American jockeys like it very much because it really suits the American horses. It has a long straight, and there isn’t much kickback.”
The event will be the most significant in Saudi Arabia’s history. Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, shared his goals and ambitions of the sport to become a leading player in the horse racing industry. With it’s many developments in the past years, the track race is finally capable to host the most value race yet.
