2020 Is Breaking Records Already with The Richest Horse Race Ever
We are only at the beginning of 2020 and it looks set to be a very exciting year if you are a fan of horse racing. There are already some amazing horse races around the globe but Saudi Arabia is set to become the biggest and best hotspot for the sport, as the richest horse race in the world is set to be held on February 29th in Riyadh.
Confirmed to have a prize pot of $20 million, the Saudi Cup is going to trump any other horse race that has been held in terms of prize money by several million. With prize money like this, you can be sure that this horse race is going to attract some of the biggest and best horses, trainers, and jockeys from all around the world.
With that in mind, continue reading to find out more about the race itself, as well as the horses that are rumoured to be entering the mix at the moment.
What is the Saudi Cup?
The Saudi Cup is a nine-furlong race that is going to be run on the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racetrack. There are going to be a maximum field of 14 starters for the race. There are a number of different opportunities for horses to qualify for the race. For example, the winner of the Pegasus Cup in Florida will be invited to run in the race, even if they have not entered it previously. Furthermore, there is going to be a race held on the 7th of February in Saudi Arabia for Arabian horses to earn the chance to qualify. The winner will secure a position in the world’s richest horse race.
The Event
Of course, the Saudi Cup is going to be the main attraction. However, there are a number of other races that are going to be taking place at the event. This includes the following:
- The 1351 Turf Sprint – 6 ¾ furlongs – Turf Track – $1,000,000 prize fund
- The Saudi Deby – 1 mile – Dirt Track – $800,000 prize fund
- The Neom Turf Cup – 1 mile two-and-a-half furlongs – Turf Track – $1,000,000 prize fund
- The Riyadh Dirt Sprint – 6 furlongs – Dirt Track – $1,500,000 prize fund
- The Red Sea Turf Handicap – 1 mile seven furlongs – Turf Track – $2,500,000 prize fund
- The Jockey Club Local Handicap – 1 mile one furlong – Dirt Track – $500,000 prize fund
- The Obaiya Arabian Classic – 1 mile two furlongs – Dirt Track – $1,900,000 prize fund
Entries for the Saudi Cup
The discussion has already begun regarding who is going to win the Saudi Cup, although the final list of runners is yet to be announced. After all, we still need to see who wins the Pegasus World Cup at the end of the month, as well as who wins the Arabian qualifier at the start of February. There has been an impressive number of entries for the race, though. It was revealed that 32 Grade or Group 1 winners had made entries for the main race. And, who can blame them with such a big prize pot on offer?
So, let’s take a look at some of the main contenders that we can expect to see on the big day. At the moment, all of the talk seems to be about Maximum Security. This a four-year-old American thoroughbred that is trained by Jason Servis. If you take a look at the horse’s record, you will see that it is an impressive one. In 2019, the worse won The Cigar Mile, Bold Ruler Handicap, Haskell Invitational, and the Florida Derby. It also crossed the line first in the prestigious 2019 Kentucky Derby, yet it was disqualified for interference.
Of course, we need to give a mention to the current favourite for the Pegasus World Cup, which is Omaha Beach. The winner of this race could line up in the Saudi Cup as well, which would be an impressive double within the matter of a month!
As you can see, there is a lot to get excited about when it comes to Saudi Arabia horse racing in 2020. We have just over a month until the richest horse race in the world takes place, and we will certainly be keeping an eager eye on the news to learn about the entries and to see which Arabian horse wins the qualifier to earn a coveted spot in the main race.
Do you have any predictions?
*Image for illustration only.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.
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