A home-town hero has emerged as the shock winner of the US$20 million Saudi Cup.
Emblem Road, a rank outsider, produced the finish of his life sustaining an electric run all the way up the home straight and to the line, scorching home to leave the rivals in his wake to sort of the minor placings.
The race result was also a crowning glory for the fifty-three-year-old veteran Panamanian jockey Wigberto “Wiggy” Ramos, who has ridden in Saudi Arabia for many years making him a very popular winner of the race as far as the home-town Riyadh crowd was concerned.
The prize-money attracted horses from the United States … most notably last year’s winner Mishriff and newly confirmed 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (after Medina Spirit’s recent high profile disqualification) … horses from South America … from France … from Japan … but it was the local trainer/jockey combination of Mitab Almulawah and Ramos that prevailed.
Mitab Almulawah had two runners in the Saudi Cup, Making Miracles and Emblem Road. Both are owned by Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz, who employs Almulawah as his personal trainer. Making Miracles finished fourth in the Cup
Trainer Bob Baffert, still reeling from the Medina Spirit disqualification, came away with second place with Country Grammar while the Steve Asmussen trained Midnight Bourbon finished third … these two runners coming in a half-length and one-and-a-half lengths respectively behind the winner.
Last year’s winner Mishriff finished last.
Emblem Road earned US$10 million for the win, the runner-up earned US3.5 million, the third place prize-money was US$2 million, the fourth place was US$1.5 million and fifth place was US$1 million.
Further prize-money was paid out down to tenth place (US$200 00) in the fourteen horse field.
