The richest race in the world was run overnight at Riyadh with the $US20million Saudi Cup (1800m) on dirt delivering a thriller with James McDonald and the ‘Pride of Hong Kong’ Romantic Warrior (IRE) going down by half a length in an epic battle with Japanese raider Forever Young.
The Danny Shum trained Romantic Warrior had the run of the race settling in fifth place before angling around the leaders to make his challenge when turning for home. He gave a great kick and looked set for victory when he surged away from Forever Young, but the four year-old Real Steel stallion hunted him down to win by a long neck with 10 lengths back to the third horse, another Japanese visitor in Ushba Tesoro.
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ned by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young is no stranger to success in Saudi Arabia as he won the Saudi Derby last year along with the UAE Derby before going on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby.
Forever Young was third in the Group I Breeders Cup Classic last November and came to Saudi Arabia off a win in the Group I Ohi Tokyo Daishoten on December 29 with his overall record now a formidable eight wins and two placings from 10 starts.
Ryusei Sakai is the regular rider for Forever Young and had complete faith in his horse.
"He jumped very well from the wide gate in 14 and got into a nice position without a problem. It was my tactics to be in that situation,” he said.
"I believe in Forever Young, I never thought I’d lose the race. This is the best moment in my life."
James McDonald could have done no more on Romantic Warrior, who was brave in defeat.
"He ran incredibly well. I was very proud of him. He flowed into the race well and used his momentum nicely, so it was a terrific effort. He was gallant in defeat, the race worked out perfectly for us, he got a little bit of kickback, sidled round just beautifully,” he said.
"I can safely say I wasn’t stopping, I didn’t alter my stride pace at all. It just shows what great horse Forever Young is and what a race was."
Purchased from the JRHA Select Sale in 2022 for ¥98,000,000, Forever Young was bred by Northern Farm and runs for Susumu Fujita.
He is the best of four 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.
It was a remarkable day for Japanese trained thoroughbreds, who won all four big races.
French bred Siyouni stallion Shin Emperor, also trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai won the Group II Neom Turf Cup (2100m), before high class mare Ascoli Piceno (Daiwa Major), last seen running in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill, won the Group II 1351 Turf Sprint (1400m).
The Group II Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000m) was won by Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia) trained by Tomayasu Sakaguchi and ridden by Oisin Murphy.
