RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA — Fourteen horses with Grade I or Group 1 form from America, Argentina, Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan and even Uruguay will take their chance at the winner’s share of the $20-million gross purse for the world’s richest horse race, Saturday’s G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. And few of them are without some sort of chance.

Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) returns to the Saudi capital 12 months on from a last-lunge success in the G3 Saudi Derby and looks to become the first to complete the double, with the Saudi Cup deemed a GI Breeders’ Cup Classic “Win and You’re In” for the first time. Unlucky to not post a better finish when third in the GI Kentucky Derby, he returned to the U.S. for a crack at the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but he arguably sat too close to a very quick tempo after drawing the inside and felt the pinch late when third to would-be Saudi Cup starter ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Fierceness (City of Light). He exits a smooth success over the running-on Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten in late December, a first elite-level success, but not likely the last.

Jockey Ryusei Sakai remains predictably bullish and said: “He travelled to Riyadh very well. He has been very relaxed and looked confident since he has arrived. I have no worries about him. He is a very versatile type of horse and can handle any type of track condition.”

If there was any consternation in drawing the widest barrier in 14 for Saturday’s 1800-metre contest, trainer Yoshito Yahagi was certainly not letting on, saying only that an outside alley was preferred to one on the inside.

Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), the 2023 G1 Dubai World Cup winner who was just caught on the wire of last year’s Saudi Cup, is the fourth and perhaps–remarkably–weakest of the Japanese challenge.

Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) makes a much-anticipated first dirt appearance as he looks to join the likes of Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and the Yahagi-trained Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) as seasoned turf horses to make a successful transition. The 10-times Group 1 winner has made a more favourable impression in his local dirt work than over the main track at Meydan, where he has been stabled since late December, but the surface itself isn’t necessarily the concern in the eyes of trainer Danny Shum.

“He can handle the dirt, I don’t know how he’ll handle the kickback,” Shum told the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia’s Martin Kelly during a Thursday press conference. “Some horses can handle it and others will shorten their stride. This is normal. You never know until they’re past the winning post. He looks very fit. Physically, in all his career, this time he’s the best in his life.”

Given his draw in three, the kickback could have a say in the outcome, but in Romantic Warrior, you have a horse that has taken everything that has been thrown at him in his stride and it would be foolish to discount his chances.

Rattle N Roll (Connect) will look to become the third US-based winner of the Saudi Cup and the 6-year-old earned his way into the race with a 4 3/4-length thumping of Wait To Excel (GB) (Postponed {Ire}) and the commonly owned Wootton’sun (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (King’s Cup) on Jan. 22. Joel Rosario jets in from the States and trainer Ken McPeek will give the Dominican carte blanche where it comes to tactics.

“You don’t tell Picasso or Rembrandt how to paint, you give him a brush,” the conditioner quipped Thursday.

Trainer Bhupat Seemar had intended to start reigning Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River (Into Mischief) in the Saudi Cup, but a minor injury dictates his absence with an eye on a repeat bid at Meydan six weeks from now. The Zabeel Stables boss is nevertheless represented by Walk of Stars (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a participant in the G1 Derby for Godolphin in 2022, who has since found a new home on the dirt. He most recently defeated 2024 G1 Dubai Turf hero Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) soundly into third in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge over 1900 metres and could be the one they’ll have to catch on Saturday.

Of Facteur Cheval, his trainer Jerome Reynier said: “His best performance was in the Dubai Turf last year over 1800m, left-handed. It’s the same conditions in The Saudi Cup, except that it is run on the dirt.

“Facteur Cheval is a very strong individual, who always delivers, he is just a very special horse. Even if we might struggle to be as competitive as Forever Young or the other true dirt specialists, who are international champions, being placed in this race is already an achievement.”

The G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini is not often a test that produces runners in a race such as this, but the 2024 renewal sees its top two finishers–Intense for Me (Arg) (Fortify) and El Kodigo (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg})–line up here. The latter, exiting a top-level score at Maronas in Montevideo, Uruguay, is widely regarded as the best dirt horse in South America and both horses are owned by Muhaideb Abdullah A Almuhaideb.

Al Musmak (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) won last year’s Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes for Roger Varian and was impressive in landing a course-and-distance conditions event Jan. 4. Former US Grade I winner Defunded (Dialed In) completes the field.

Returning Champions Contest Undercard

In addition to Forever Young, the winners of three of the five other races from 2024 are back in search of repeat Riyadh riches.

• The Richard Fahey-trained Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) defeated Japan’s Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) in last year’s G2 Neom Turf Cup (2100m) and the three renew acquaintances on Saturday. The field also includes G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin hero Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), the €2.1-million 2022 Arqana August topper who makes his first start for the Forever Young connections since dead-heating for second in the G1 Japan Cup in November.

• The Mick Appleby-trained Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) made the 2024 G2 1351 Turf Sprint his own and he, too, is back in Riyadh against challengers from America, Bahrain, Japan and Qatar. Of note are Listed Dubai Duty Free Stakes winner Witness Stand (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}), having his first run for Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole; and the locally based Malyan (Ire) (Sioux Nation), never worse than third in 10 starts in Riyadh and winner of five on the trot, including the local qualifier on Jan. 24.

• An eight-length winner of the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes over two miles last fall, Al Nayyir (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) carries top weight of 62kg (136 pounds) into Saturday’s G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000m) against the likes of Wathnan Racing’s Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) and Deira Mile (GB) (Camelot {GB}), last seen crossing the line third, but demoted to fourth in the G1 St Leger in September.

• Remake (Jpn) (Lani) carried Yuga Kawada to an easy win in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint 12 months ago, but arrives in more questionable form this time around, having done no running whatsoever behind Straight No Chaser (Speightster) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint in early November. Gabby’s Sister (Jpn) (Apollo Kingdom) and Chikappa (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) also look to give Japan a fourth win in the race, while the outgoing Jimmy Jerkens saddles the sneaky Ancestral Land (GB) (Sioux Nation).

• Japan also goes for a fourth win in the G3 Saudi Derby, with the undefeated filly Myriad Love (Jpn) (New Year’s Day) a real chance to make it four-from-four in her career against G3 UAE 2000 Guineas winner Golden Vekoma (Vekoma) and US raider Cyclone State (McKinzie), impressive in winning the Listed Jerome Stakes last time.