Forever Young odds on for $20m Saudi Cup

Japanese champion Forever Young jumps from Gate 6 to make history in defending his Group 1 $20million Saudi Cup crown at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.

With trainer Yoshito Yahagi picking the starting berth for a field of 14, Forever Young is the odds-on $1.65 favourite with nation-wide wagering agents and will be ridden by Ryusei Sakai.

“I think six is a good number,” Yoshito 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.”

Fresh from winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on 3 November, he was outstanding when nose x nose third in the Kentucky Derby, having won both the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby.

A 5yo half-brother to Gr3 Brown Ratchet and Mon Favori from the Santa Ynez Stakes winner Forever Darling, he’s by the Dubai Turf winner Real Steel and was a ¥98m 2022 JRIH Select Yearling.

And with US Hall of Famer Bob Baffert in Riyadh, he has Flavien Prat jumping Nysos from Gate 12 at $4.60, and stable-mate Nevada Beach at $12 for Irad Ortiz Jr from Barrier 7.

“I’d rather be on the outside than the inside,” Baffert said after drawing the wide gate for Nysos. “As long as the horse shows up that is more important.”

“I think he’s a really good horse and always shown brilliance. He’s a trier and knows where the wire is, and from the outside he’ll have a clear run,” with the race over 1800m on dirt.

In coming off a courageous nose victory over Nevada Beach in the Laffit Pincay Jr Stakes at Santa Anita, Nysos had earlier taken out the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

No stranger to the auction ring, Nysos was a $550,000 2023 Ocala Spring 2YO, having been a $130,000 Keeneland November foal and a $150,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling.

A 4yo son of Nyquist, the only second horse to win the BC Juvenile and Kentucky Derby, and was bred in Kentucky by Susie Atkins, the family of Glitter Woman, Political Force.

“Gate seven is good for Nevada Beach too. We just didn’t want to be in the one-hole,” said Bob Baffert with his 5yo son of Omaha Beach so courageous in the Laffit Pincay.

In winning the Native Diver Stakes in November, he earlier claimed the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita and the Los Alamitos Derby, and was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

With Omaha Beach having won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Nevada Beach is from the close family of American Oaks winner Decked Out, and was a $230,000 2023 September Yearling.

At $11 is the Brad Cox Cigar Mile winner Bishops Bay who’s looking for five on-end with Junior Alvarado from Gate 9, and Japan’s Sunrise Zipangu is $21 for Oisin Murphy in Gate 1.

Trainer Kyoko Maekawa drew the rail for Sunrise Zipangu and is looking for his sixth career win having been fifth in the Arima Kinen, the Grand Prix on turf having also won at 1800m on dirt.

Now the first-ever female trainer licensed by the Japan Racing Association, Kyoto was Yoshito Yahagi’s assistant in Saudi Arabia when Panthalassa won The Saudi Cup also from Gate 1 in 2023.