This month, the eyes of the racing world turn again to the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh for the 2026 Saudi Cup, which returns for its seventh edition on 13th-14th February.
The Saudi Cup itself, which is the most lucrative individual race in the sport with a prize purse of $20m, is the headline act, though the meeting encompasses much more besides and attracts racing’s finest thoroughbreds to Saudi Arabia each year.
Nearly $40m in prize money is on offer to entrants and connections across the weekend, which is a major draw in itself, though the chance to compete against the best horses, jockeys and trainers on the planet is also enticing for those making the trip.
For Irish racing fans, the appeal is just as obvious – the Saudi Cup offers a chance to see homegrown talent compete for life-changing money on the world stage, while numerous betting opportunities for the festival also exist.
At Tonybet, you’ll find extensive markets for the 2026 edition of the Saudi Cup, complete with competitive prices and each-way offers for all races on the card. Below, we’ve profiled the event and picked out some runners that could be worth fancying.
Friday 13th February – opening night
Opening ‘night’ at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh actually runs from the gate opening time of 2:00pm local time, with the first race beginning shortly afterwards.
The evening closes at around 10:30pm, but not before delivering a full eight-race card under the floodlights. Interest here centres on the International Jockeys’ Challenge, where 14 of the world’s best male and female riders (seven each) face off across four races of individual and team honours.
If you’re tuning in, remember that things kick off around 11:00am Irish time. Expect to see familiar names from Ireland and the UK up against horses from America, Australia, Japan and, of course, the Middle East.
The first day on Friday 13th February is laid out like this:
- Race 1: 11:00am Irish time – US$250,000 Fillies Mile (over a distance of 1600m on dirt for three-year-olds)
- Race 2: 11:40am Irish time – US$400,000 International Jockeys’ Challenge R1 (0-95) (over a distance of 1600m on dirt for four-year-olds+)
- Race 3: 12:20pm Irish time – US$400,000 International Jockeys’ Challenge R2 (0-95) (over a distance of 1400m on dirt for four-year-olds)
- Race 4: 1:00pm Irish time – US$250,000 Sarawat Cup (over a distance of 1200m on dirt for three-year-old colts, geldings and fillies)
- Race 5: 1:40pm Irish time – US$400,000 International Jockeys’ Challenge R3 (0-100) (over a distance of 1200m on dirt for four-year-olds+)
- Race 6: 2:20pm Irish time – US$400,000 International Jockeys’ Challenge R4 (0-100) (over a distance of 2100m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 7: 3:00pm Irish time – US$500,000 Saudi International Handicap 90-110 (over a distance of 2100m on turf for four-year-olds+)
- Race 8: 3:40pm Irish time – US$1,500,000 Al Mneefah Cup (Group 1) – Group 1 (over a distance of 210m on turf for four-year-olds+)
For punters scanning Tonybet’s horse racing markets, the card on Friday offers plenty of chances for hunting down each-way value, particularly in those big-field handicaps and the always thrilling Jockeys’ Challenge races.
As always, plenty of price movement should be anticipated once the final declarations for the first day are announced. Early indications point to solid local representation, especially in the dirt sprints, with clusters of high-calibre European entries likely to be put forward for the events on turf.
Saturday 14th February – Saudi Cup race night
Now to the day that hosts the main event on the 14th. A jam-packed nine-race card awaits on Saturday, with the Group 1 Saudi Cup on the docket as a late-evening climax (Irish time).
First, let’s take a look at how the second day unfolds:
- Race 1: 12:00pm Irish time – US$1,500,000 Jockey Club Local Handicap (over a distance of 1800m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 2: 12:40pm Irish time – US$2,000,000 Obaiyah Arabian Classic (Group 1) – Group 1 (over a distance of 2000m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 3: 1:20pm Irish time – US$1,500,000 Saudi Derby (Group 3) – Group 3 (over a distance of 1600m for three-year-old colts, geldings and fillies)
- Race 4: 2:00pm Irish time – US$2,000,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (Group 2) – Group 2 (over a distance of 1200m for three-year-olds+)
- Race 5: 2:40pm Irish time – US$1,000,000 Tuwaiq Cup (Listed) – Listed (over a distance of 1800m for three-year-olds+)
- Race 6: 3:25pm Irish time – US$3,000,000 Neom Turf Cup (Group 1) – Group 1 (over a distance of 2100m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 7: 4:10pm Irish time – US$2,000,000 1351 Turf Sprint (Group 2) – Group 2 (over a distance of 1351m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 8: 4:50pm Irish time – US$2,500,000 Red Sea Turf Handicap (Group 2) (over a distance of 3000m for four-year-olds+)
- Race 9: 5:40pm Irish time – US$20,000,000 Saudi Cup (Group 1) – Group 1 (over a distance of 1800m for four-year-olds+)
The atmosphere tends to build throughout the day here, with the day capped by three successive races with big prize pots, culminating in the big one, the Saudi Cup, which pays out $10m to the winner, with another $10m shared out elsewhere.
Ahead of this year’s iteration, much of the focus has been on defending champ Forever Young, the pride of Japan, who’s bidding to become the first horse to win the race twice.
Last year, the Yoshito Yahagi-trained winner saw off Irish-born Romantic Warrior by a neck to claim the spoils, setting a new fastest winning time for the race in the process (1:49.099).
Forever Young comes off the back of a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory and Eclipse Award Honours this year, and is really the one to beat again. However, there should be a more than decent challenge from the American pack this time around.
Nysos (Bob Baffert), was last year’s winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and won’t be easily beaten in Riyadh, while stablemate Nevada Beach won the $300K G1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in September, which could inform performance prospects in Saudi Arabia.
Elsewhere, Kenny McPeek’s Rattle N Roll returns to Riyadh, having placed in fifth in the 2025 Saudi Cup, while Bishops Bay (Brad Cox) dons the colours of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons, having delivered the goods in the Cigar Mile.at Aqueduct before Christmas.
From Japan comes Luxor Café and Sunrise Zipangu, while local hopes are certain to rest on Sayyah and Star of Wonder.
The Saudi Cup has a penchant for producing late drama, with the track’s one-turn configuration and long home straight inviting late charges towards the post. It still looks like the perfect setup for a horse with Forever Young’s kind of profile to succeed, so the king could easily be recrowned here.
In the supporting Group 1 & 2 Features before the Saudi Cup itself, entries of interest have also been spotted.
In the Howden Neom Turf Cup, which enjoys upgraded elite status this year, look out for Godolphin’s globe-trotter Rebel’s Romance, who should be able to fly the flag for Ireland with distinction. Alternatively, Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter, and the Bahrain International Trophy winner Royal Champion, trained by K R Burke, add to the depth of quality that will be on show.
In the day’s penultimate race, the Red Sea Turf Handicap, Joseph O’Brien will arrive with a trio of entries in Al Riffa, Goodie Two Shoes and Tennessee Stud. All three have credentials, but so also does the Willie Mullins charge, Absurde. This dangerous eight-year-old has four wins and five seconds from 18 outings on the flat.
Irish interest – a genuine shot at history
We’ve touched on it briefly above, but there is plenty of Irish involvement in Saudi Arabia again this year, with numerous household names in racing from the Emerald Isle in with a chance of writing headlines and winning races in Riyadh.
Racing fans love nothing more than seeing Irish-bred and Irish-trained horses competing against the best of the rest from around the world. Indeed, profits earned from backing them always feel that much sweeter with some national pride baked in.
In 2025, two Irish-born horses finished in the top seven of the Saudi Cup. Romantic Warrior, hailing from the Corduff Stud & T J Rooney breeding ground in Kildare, was a close second, while Facteur Cheval, who was sired by Ribchester, finished in seventh spot.
Of course, we all remember the Irish-born Mishriff, who won the Saudi Cup outright in 2021 with Kildare’s David Egan on board, the same horse that went on to win the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, a month later.
This year, we have plenty of Irish connections to look out for, to root for, and to back at Tonybet. There is a particular pull towards the turf programme at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, which is loaded with Irish links.
In the Neom Turf Cup, we have Rebel’s Romance, Godolphin-owned and trained by Charlie Appleby. The Lion In Winter, progeny of Sea The Stars (winner of the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2009), looks like a menacing entry from Aidan O’Brien in the same race.
Looking to the Red Sea Turf Handicap, you’d have to like Joseph O’Brien’s chances of ruffling some feathers there. Al Riffa, who showed up well to win back-to-back races over similar trips at the Curragh last year, competes with Melbourne Cup runner-up Goodie Two Shoes.
A third horse from O’Brien’s yard, Tennessee Stud, shouldn’t be dismissed either. The four-year-old caught the eye when winning at Longchamp, when last seen in October.
A win in any of these races would represent a career highlight for any Irish horse along with providing a substantial financial windfall for connections. Even a placed effort in the big turf races carries a six-figure payday.
The betting angle is just as compelling. The Saudi Cup itself draws the biggest action, but don’t forget those undercards. They frequently throw out big each-way payouts.
For example, Irish-born Haunted Dream finished fourth off a starting price of 50/1 in the 2025 Neom Turf Cup. And Byzantine Dream was a 16/1 winner in the Red Sea Turf Handicap 12 months ago. These races scream value, and Tonybet’s horse racing markets will have competitive odds for each event, with early prices available on many of the features.
Keep up to date with Tonybet
With final declarations dropping, jockeys still being booked and early betting markets starting to heat up, you can follow all the latest happenings in the lead-up to Riyadh by tracking news and horse racing odds with Tonybet.
Whether you’re backing Forever Young to make history or looking for an Irish each-way punt in the supporting races, Tonybet has you covered with top prices and fast settlements.
