A pair of races worth $2.4 million combined have been added to the inaugural Saudi Cup program, to be held at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh Feb. 29, 2020. Details were revealed at a Saudi Cup launch event Monday at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, London.
An international race for Arabians will be contested at a distance of a mile and a quarter on the dirt track and will carry purse money of $1.9 million, while a Thoroughbred handicap restricted to horses trained in Saudi Arabia and worth $500,000 has also been added.
HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, revealed that at least two places in each of the seven international races-including the featured $20-million Saudi Cup itself and the three races on the new turf course-would be reserved for Saudi-trained horses.
“Our Saudi Cup day is providing all of us here in the racing community of Saudi Arabia with wonderful new opportunities,” said HRH Prince Bandar. “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.”
Total prize money across the eight races will total $29.2 million.
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