Global clash of the world’s best in The Saudi Cup as Forever Young prevails

Japanese runner one of four winners for the racing nation on the evening

Image:Forever Young (dark red) wins the US$20m Saudi Cup. Credit: JCSA/Mathea Kelley

The 2025 US$20m Saudi Cup was one for the ages. A global clash of the world’s best wowed the Riyadh crowd as Japan’s Susumu Fujita-owned Forever Young (JPN) caught Hong Kong’s superstar Romantic Warrior (IRE) on the wire, winning by a neck and becoming the first horse to win the Saudi Derby-Saudi Cup double.

Breaking exceptionally from the outermost 14-post under Ryusei Sakai, the son of Real Steel slotted over without a hitch and landed pristinely into the two path, following front-running Walk of Stars (GB) down the long King Abdulaziz Racecourse backstretch, with Al Musmak (IRE) and Defunded (USA) contesting the lead immediately to his outside.

Entering the lone turn of the 1800m race, the bay charge took a slight lead between horses, which would be short-lived when fellow leading contender Romantic Warrior made a breathtaking five-wide bid approaching the completion of the turn, circling all of the aforementioned to take the race by the throat.

But Yoshito Yahagi-conditioned Forever Young could not only still breath - he was full steam, chasing his rival home down the stretch to win in the shadow of the wire in a swift time of 1:49.099.

It was another 10 and a half lengths back to third-placed Ushba Tesoro (JPN), who was one and three-quarter lengths to the good of banner-mate Wilson Tesoro (JPN).

On a day when the Japanese team dominated the card with four victories, its quartet of contenders in the world’s richest race finished within the top six, with Ramjet (JPN) last of them, one length astern of fifth-placed American contender Rattle N Roll (USA).

The victory was Forever Young’s eighth from 10 starts and second at the top level, following a one-sided tally in December’s Tokyo Daishoten. His lone losses were thirds in America’s two most prestigious races, the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The first-place prize money increased his bankroll to $14,248,207. His next run, according to connections, will likely be the Group 1 Dubai World Cup on April 5.

The victory was Fujita, Sakai and Yahagi’s second on the day, following Shin Emperor’s domination of the US$2m Howden Neom Turf Cup.

Facteur Cheval (IRE), Wait To Excel (GB), Wootton’sun (FR), Defunded (USA), Al Musmak (IRE), Walk Of Stars (GB), El Kodigo (ARG) and Intense For Me (ARG) completed the order of finish, with prize money paying down to tenth.