Japanese superstar Forever Young aims for back to back Saudi Cup wins

Japanese superstar Forever Young will attempt to make history on Saturday by becoming the first dual winner of the USD$20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup, as the world’s top-rated dirt horse returns to Riyadh to defend his crown.

The G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner renews his rivalry with leading American contenders, including Bob Baffert’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero Nysos and stablemate Nevada Beach.

Baffert, back in Saudi Arabia for the first time since the meeting’s inaugural running in 2020, spoke with confidence ahead of a race that has repeatedly eluded him.

“You are just hoping that when they turn for home that they are running, and for me hopefully it’s going to be Nysos, and Nevada Beach is right there too, with Forever Young – King Kong versus Godzilla,” he told reporters in Saudi Arabia.

“I have brought good horses here, but I think Nysos, hopefully, is the best.”

The Hall of Fame trainer also praised the reigning champion.

“Forever Young, he’s a unicorn,” Baffert said. “What he did as a 3-year-old — to win in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and then come so close in the Kentucky Derby — that is unheard of. He’s an incredible horse.”

Forever Young’s trainer Yoshito Yahagi, already the only two-time winner of the Saudi Cup, is aiming for a third straight triumph at the fixture.

“Maybe this is going to be Forever Young’s last time to compete in the Saudi Cup, so we will do our best to bring his full potential,” Yahagi said.