Saudi Cup: Forever Young will defend his title from post 6

Forever Young will emerge from gate 6 when bidding to defend his Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup crown at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.

The reigning champion was the penultimate horse to be given a barrier, and only five or six remained when Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi picked out the starting berth.

“I think six is a good number,” Yahagi said. “We don’t have to change anything with tactics. Honestly, I feel a lot of pressure on my shoulders bringing a defending champion, but Forever Young doesn’t feel any pressure at all.”

Saudi Cup is 'setting up perfectly' for Banishing, Jacobson says

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has two entries in the Saudi Cup; Flavien Prat will guide Nysos from gate 12, and Irad Ortiz Jr. and Nevada Beach drew gate 7.

“I’d rather be on the outside than the inside,” Baffert, who was in Riyadh, said after drawing the wide gate for Nysos. “As long as the horse shows up, that is more important. I think he is a really good horse and has always shown brilliance. He’s a trier and knows where the wire is. From the outside he will have a clear run.”

“Gate 7 is good for Nevada Beach too. We just didn’t want to be in the one-hole,” Baffert added.

Last year’s fifth-place finisher Rattle N Roll raced from 7 on that occasion, but Joel Rosario will steer Kenny McPeek’s 6-year-old from stall 11 this time around.

Kyoko Maekawa was on hand to draw stall 1 for Sunrise Zipangu who will be ridden by Oisin Murphy. The Japan Racing Association’s first-ever female trainer was Yahagi’s assistant in Saudi Arabia when Panthalassa won the Saudi Cup from stall 1 in 2023. Noriyuki Hori’s Luxor Cafe has a wider starting point in barrier 10.

Leading local contender Mhally will break from stall 13, which pleased his connections.

“We are very happy with that draw. We wanted something on the outside,” said Sheikh Faisal Al Sabah, son of owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah. “Hopefully he proves himself on Saturday.”

Banishing was described as a horse with “a heart of gold” by trainer David Jacobson’s son, Zachary, and the American raider will break from stall 3, while Brad Cox-trained Bishops Bay will come from 9.

The Saad Aljenade-trained Star Of Wonder will start from the same stall 5 that Emblem Road had when he won the race in 2022. His stable companion Haqeet is inside that in box 2 under Mickael Barzalona. Ryan Moore is a notable jockey booking for the Sami Alharabi-trained Ameerat Alzamaan, who breaks from 4.

Thundersquall will start from the widest draw of all in 14 for trainer Muteb Almulawah and jockey Danny Tudhope, and Tumbarumba and James Doyle will begin the richest race in the world from barrier 8 for Hamad Al Jehani and Wathnan Racing.