First, there was the Breeders’ Cup Classic, then the Dubai World. Then there was the Everest, but the Saudi Cup, the inaugural running of which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 29th, 2020 and is now officially the world’s richest horse race.
The first running of the Saudi Cup 2020 was won by the US-trained Maximum Security, who was the 2/1 favourite and trained by Jason Servis.
$20 million was the prize fund for the 1m1f dirt conditions race for three-year-olds and upwards, a contest that hailed the arrival of a serious new player on the international racing scene in the shape of a nation that had, to a great extent, been previously been very much in the shadow of so many more established racing nations.
If you want more information about horse racing betting, do not hesitate to read our page dedicated to horse racing betting (major world horse races to bet on).
The 2022 Saudi Cup is set to be run on February 19th.
Saudi Cup Runners Results 2021
The second edition of the Saudi Cup was run on 20th February 2021 and was won by Mishriff. Below you will find the Saudi Cup finishing positions.
| Saudi Cup Result | Saudi Cup Entry | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1st | Mishriff | J. Gosden | D. Egan |
| 2nd | Charlatan | B. Baffert | M. Smith |
| 3rd | Great Scot | A. Mushrif | A. Alfouraidi |
| 4th | Knicks Go | B. Cox | J. Rosario |
| 5th | Sleepy Eyes Todd | M. Silva | A. Moreno |
| 6th | Military Law | M. Mheiri | A. Fresu |
| 7th | Tacitus | W. Mott | W. Buick |
| 8th | Bangkok | A. Balding | R. Moore |
| 9th | Chuwa Wizard | R. Okubo | K. Tosaki |
| 10th | Derevo | A. Mushrif | C. Demuro |
| 11th | Max Player | S. Asmussen | M. Barzalona |
| 12th | Global Giant | J. Gosden | F. Dettori |
| 13th | Extra Elusive | R. Charlton | H. Doyle |
| 14th | Simsir | F. Nass | A. de Vries |
Saudi Cup Runners Results 2020
The 2020 Saudi Cup was run on February 29th and won by the Jason Servis-trained Maximum Security. Following are the Saudi Cup favourites and runners as they passed the finishing post at Kind Abdulaziz Racetrack:
| Saudi Cup Result | Saudi Cup Entry | Trainer | Saudi Cup Odds*/SP |
| 1st | Maximum Security | Jason Servis | 5/2 |
| 2nd | Midnight Bisou | Steven Asmussen | 8/1 |
| 3rd | Benbatl | Saeed bin Suroor | 7/1 |
| 4th | Mucho Gusto | Bob Baffert | 6/1 |
| 5th | Tacitus | B. Mott | 15/1 |
| 6th | Gold Dream | O. Hirata | 30/1 |
| 7th | Chrysoberyl | H. Otonashi | 10/1 |
| 8th | Mjjack | S. Al Harabi | 60/1 |
| 9th | Magic Wand | A. O’Brien | 30/1 |
| 10th | Gronkowski | S. bin Ghadayer | 30/1 |
| 11th | McKinzie | B. Baffert | 3/1 |
| 12th | Great Scot | A. Mishrif | 60/1 |
| 13th | North America | S. Seemar | 30/1 |
| 14th | Capezzano | S. Bin Ghadayer | 10/1 |
*You should have in mind that the odds can change before the event. Make sure to check them regularly in order to make an informed decision when you want to place your bet.
Saudi Cup Favourites 2020 – How Saudi Cup Runners Fared
- Maximum Security – After tracking the leaders, this 4 year-old rewarded favourite backers to keep on well up the home straight to eventually win the Saudi Cup by ¾ of a length and pocket the monster £7.5m top prize
- Midnight Bisou – Held up for much of the race and despite staying on well in the closing stages couldn’t hold the winning run of the favourite – but still pulled 2 lengths clear of the third – this 5 year-old still won £2.6m!
- Benbatl – This Godolphin runner stayed on well to take third after looking likely to finish further down the field. UK Champion jockey – Oisin Murphy took the ride and with the horse still winning £1.5m for coming third it was still a decent payday for all connections.
- Mucho Gusto – This Bob Baffert-trained 4 year-old ran well but hung a bit in the closing stages but still ran well to finish fourth and in the process win £1.1m
- Tacitus – Trained by William Mott in the US, he ran in the colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms. He was the highest finishing horse to have a Saudi Arabian owner.
- Gold Dream – The highest finishing Japanese challenger, looked dangerous when making a move 3 out, but couldn’t quicken inside the final furlong.
- Chrysoberyl – Also trained in Japan, he kept on the same pace throughout the final 2f without ever looking dangerous.
- Mjjack – The best of the locally-trained runners was in rear for much of the race before staying on steadily without ever landing a blow. He belied his 66/1 odds.
- Magic Wand – Aidan O’Brien’s tough filly was partnered by Ryan Moore but never looked like taking a hand in the finish on this occasion.
- Gronkowski – Despite the best efforts of Frankie Dettori, last year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up was always struggling after a slow start and was well beaten.
- McKinzie – A 6/1 shot, the Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up was always playing catch up and never figured, finishing well behind his lesser fancied Bob Baffert-trained stable companion Mucho Gusto.
- Great Scot – This locally-trained Requinto gelding was always in rear and made no impression throughout the contest.
- North America – Trained in the UAE, this eight-year-old was outclassed when they really began racing after halfway and soon lost his position.
- Capezzano – Not the most consistent of horses, the UAE trained gelding led until headed halfway and eventually finished tailed off last of the 14 runners.
Saudi Cup Betting
Saudi Cup betting is in its infancy as the inaugural race has just been run. Not all online bookmakers will offer the ability to bet on the race yet. However, bigger racebooks will offer Saudi Cup odds for you to bet on.
In Saudi Arabia, it is not permitted to bet on the horses at the racetrack, though, international bookmakers will be accepting wagers.
Saudi Cup Tips
Heading long-time leader Mucho Gusto, Maximum Security (2/1 fav) was kept up to his work close home to beat fellow American raider Midnight Bisou (14/1), and Godolphin’s battle-hardened globetrotter Benbatl by three-quarters-of-a-length and two lengths respectively, with Mucho Gusto just run out of a place in fourth.
A horse who seems perennially dogged by controversy, the New Year’s Day colt had been disqualified after passing the post first in the Kentucky Derby nine months earlier but made no mistake this time. He held an ideal stalking position for much of the race before being unleashed by his Panama-born jockey Luis Saez on a run that carried him into the lead 110 yards out.
Saudi Cup Odds
Now the Saudi Cup is firmly established as a major international event and it was fitting that the high-class American star Maximum Security delivered the goods and justified his position as 2/1 market leader.
How to watch the Saudi Cup 2022
In Australia, it could be possible to live stream the Saudi Cup via the bigger bookmakers operating in Australia.
How to watch the Saudi Cup 2022
In Australia, it could be possible to live stream the Saudi Cup via the bigger bookmakers operating in Australia.
About the Saudi Cup Horse Race
Quickly established as a major international race, all the well-known firms were offering odds for this event and will almost certainly do so once again for the 2021 renewal.
The winner gets a cool £7.5m and the second receives £2.6m, while even the 10th placed horse walks away with £150,000!!
Saudi World Cup facts
- Open to Northern Hemisphere four-year-olds and upwards and Southern Hemisphere three-year-olds and upwards.
- Enter by noon, Tuesday January 7th, 2020.
- Free to enter and free to run.
- Supplementary entry for non-original entries: $200,000, to be paid on Tuesday February 18th, 2020.
- Final declaration and draw: Tuesday February 25th, 2020.
- Weights: Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere four-year-olds and upwards: 57kg / 126lb. Southern Hemisphere three-year-olds: 53.5kg / 118lb. Fillies and mares allowed 2kg / 4lb.
- Maximum field size: 14 runners.
- Lasix and Bute will not be allowed in the Saudi Cup.
Saudi Cup Purse
With a first prize of a whopping £7,519,000 ($10,000,000) this was the biggest single purse ever won, and there was no doubt the best horse prevailed on this occasion. Subsequent events have once again plunged the winner into murky waters with trainer Jason Servis being one of 26 people indicted in the United States on multiple racehorse doping charges.
- $10,000,000 to the winning horse.
- The second to receive $3,500,000,
- The third $2,000,000,
- The fourth $1,500,000,
- The fifth $1,000,000,
- The sixth $600,000,
- The seventh $500,000,
- The eighth $400,000,
- The ninth $300,000,
- The tenth $200,000.
