The richest race in the world was run overnight at Riyadh with the $US20million Saudi Cup (1800m) on dirt won for the second year in a row by Japanese bred and trained superstar Forever Young.
A thrilling winner of the same race last year when defeating Hong Kong legend Romantic Warrior (IRE) and James McDonald, Forever Young arrived in Saudia Arabia this year off a victory in November last year in the Group I Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young is no stranger to success in Saudi Arabia as he won the Saudi Derby at three along with the UAE Derby before going on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby.
Now a five year-old stallion, the son of Real Steel is at the height of his powers and proved too good for US trained Nysos, who won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for the Bob Baffert stable last year.
Nysos put up a good challenge for Flavien Prat, but went down by a length to Forever Young.
Forever Young has the overall record of 11 wins and three placings from 14 starts with earnings topping US$29million.
He was third in last year’s Group I Dubai World Cup and is looking to return to Meydan next month for another attempt.
Purchased from the JRHA Select Foal Sale in 2022 for ¥98,000,000, Forever Young was bred by Northern Farm and runs for Susumu Fujita.
He is the best of nine stakes-winners for Deep Impact’s Group I winning son Real Steel, who shuttled to Arrowfield Stud in Australia for one season.
A half-brother to Group III winner Brown Ratchet, he is the best of four winners from Group II winning Congrats mare Forever Darling, a half-sister to Group I winner Heavenly Love, the dam of 2024 US Champion3YO Colt Sierra Leone, who defeated Forever Young in both the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.
