Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia

Racing begins at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on October 16, the first of 50 meetings before the February 14, 2026 $20-million G1 Saudi Cup concludes the season, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday. The schedule change was made to accommodate the Holy Month of Ramadan, which falls around February 28. The seventh running of the Saudi Cup coincides with the 41st Asian Racing Conference, titled 'Honouring Tradition - Shaping The Future', which takes place in the country from February 9 and closes at The Saudi Cup....

The 41st Asian Racing Conference (ARC) will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in February alongside the Saudi Cup meeting. The theme will be "Honouring Tradition - Shaping The Future" and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) and the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) will welcome international delegates from February 9-14 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Centre. Delegates will be able to attend the 2026 G1 Saudi Cup on February 14. The ARC Business Programme will feature a number of plenary sessions designed to address current...

He is 22 months into a two-year contract to train privately in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud, a move that rejuvenated his career, but Jimmy Jerkens said he is ready to come home. Jerkens told the TDN that when his contract expires in March he will return to U.S. and resume his career at the NYRA tracks. It's not that Jerkens hasn't done well in Saudi Arabia. He's had 21 winners during his time there. And it's not that he doesn't have any quality horses. "We've...

The two-day $38.1-million Saudi Cup meeting nominations at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Feb. 21-22 were released by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia on Friday. A total of 81 Grade/Group 1 winners are among the 1,123 entries from 21 countries that have stepped up, with Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) throwing his hat in the ring for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. (Click here for an in depth dive into the nominations for the Saudi Cup, G3 Saudi Derby, and G2 Riyadh...

The Sports Boulevard Riyadh Dirt Sprint and Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap will be run as Group 2 contests for the first time in 2025, it was announced by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) on Sunday. Both races take place during the Saudi Cup meeting, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 22 as part of the 2024/25 Riyadh season. The Riyadh Dirt Sprint, won this year by Japanese raider Remake (Jpn) (Lani), will see its prize-money boosted by $500,000 to $2 million, while the Red Sea Turf Handicap,...

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) has published the likely fields for the Saudi Cup meeting to be held Saturday, Feb. 24, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The United States is set to be represented by a five-strong entry in the $20-million richest race in the world, a team headed by White Abarrio (Race Day), who will be making his first start since besting Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 4. The 5-year-old, trained...

Nearly four years after Maximum Security (New Year's Day) crossed the wire first in the inaugural Saudi Cup and six months after his trainer Jason Servis was given a four-year prison sentence for doping horses under his care, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) announced Tuesday that it has concluded its own investigation into the matter and will recommend to a Stewards Committee that it should sanction Servis and disqualify Maximum Security. The final decision will be made by the Stewards Committee, but in the press release it issued...

The new Saudi Arabian racing season begins on June 1 at King Khalid Racecourse in Ta'if, where the programme has been "significantly expanded". With an earlier resumption to racing in 2023, an extra 54 races have been scheduled through to the close of the season on October 7. From a record total of 486 races, 187 will be for local and imported horses (up from 147), 193 for locally-bred horses only (up from 188) and 108 for Purebred Arabian horses (up from 49).  The Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Cup and...

Despite trainer Jason Servis having pled guilty in court last week to charges that he regularly doped horses under his care, officials from the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) issued a statement Monday in which they said they have yet to decide whether or not they will disqualify Maximum Security (New Year's Day) from his victory in the 2020 $20 million Saudi Cup. Just nine days after the race, Servis was indicted on a number of charges related to his use of performance-enhancing drugs,  which led to the JCSA...

Total Performance Data (TPD) has signed a multi-year deal with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA). The tracking system was launched during the two-day Saudi Cup meeting. TPD's agreement, the first for the company in the Middle East, means the data specialists now operate in five countries throughout the world, with the two racecourses in the territory, the King Abdulaziz Racetrack and King Khalid Racetrack, the 42nd and 43rd tracks they have a presence at globally. In addition, the new deal also means that both on-course and off-course broadcasters...

Equine MediRecord, a Kildare-based software platform, has secured a long-term contract with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA). An Irish trade delegation traveled to the JCSA to announce the news. The platform will support the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, which was elevated to Group 1 status for the first time in 2022. The Equine MediRecord platform allows for the full veterinary history of the horse to be recorded securely, ensuring the best possible horse welfare, as well as aiding with crucial anti-doping procedures. In addition, the platform will provide...

In addition to the previously announced allocation of Group 1 status to the $20-million Saudi Cup and Group 3 status to five undercard Thoroughbred races, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia revealed in a press conference on Thursday some key purse increases for undercard races. The 2022 Saudi Cup meeting, which will take place on Feb. 25 and 26, will be worth $35.1-million, making it the world's richest race meeting. Prizemoney for the G3 Neom Turf Cup and the G3 1351 Turf Sprint have each been boosted by $500,000, and...