The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has confirmed a powerful, globe-spanning lineup for the 2026 Saudi Cup International Jockeys’ Challenge (IJC), set to take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on February 13, one week before the world’s richest race.

Four races, 14 riders and one of international racing’s most distinctive concepts will again be in focus, with seven men and seven women competing on equal terms in a format that has become a defining feature of Saudi Cup week.

Among the standout names is Mickael Barzalona, who arrives in Riyadh after an exceptional 2025 season. The French star captured the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Champion Stakes at Ascot and the Japan Cup aboard Calandgan (IRE), while also landing major victories in the French 1000 Guineas and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Ireland’s newly crowned Champion Jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle will also make his IJC debut. Still just 22, the Northern Irishman is already a multiple Group 1 winner and secured the Irish riding title in November, underlining his rapid rise at the top level.

Flavien Prat adds further star power from the United States. Now firmly established as a dominant force in American racing, Prat’s career highlights include winning the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House and multiple Breeders’ Cup victories, notably the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic on the unbeaten Flightline (USA).

Japan will be represented by Keita Tosaki, one of the nation’s leading riders with more than 4,000 career wins, including major successes on top-class performers such as Real Impact (JPN) and Danon Decile (JPN). Britain’s Billy Loughnane completes the men’s lineup, continuing his remarkable ascent after being crowned Champion Apprentice at 17 and setting a modern-day record with 223 wins in a calendar year in 2025.

Local interest remains strong with defending champion Mohammed Aldaham returning after making history last year as the first Saudi jockey to win the IJC. He is joined by fellow Saudi-based rider Luis Morales, the Panama-born jockey who has ridden more than 600 winners in the Kingdom alone.

The women’s team is equally compelling. Hollie Doyle and Saffie Osborne both return to Riyadh having already made an impact in previous editions. Doyle, a Classic-winning rider, makes her third appearance after starring in 2021 and 2025 and heads to Saudi Arabia following a successful spell riding in Hong Kong late last year.

Osborne returns after her 2024 appearance and has since broken new ground internationally, partnering Heart of Honor (GB) in both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the United States before enjoying further success together at Meydan in Dubai.

France’s Marie Velon, a six-time winner of the Cravache d’Or Féminine, is another familiar face. With more than 600 career victories, she has enjoyed significant international success, particularly through her association with Iresine (FR), including wins in the Prix Royal-Oak (G1) and the Prix Foy.

European newcomers Nina Baltromei and Frida Valle-Skar add historic depth to the lineup. Baltromei made history in 2025 as the first woman to win the Deutsches Derby, while Valle-Skar achieved a landmark double when she partnered Matilda to victory in the German 2000 Guineas, becoming the first female jockey to ride the winner of the Classic.

American Forest Boyce brings vast experience to her first appearance in Riyadh, with more than 1,000 career wins and over USD $40 million in prize-money earnings. She is joined by Australia’s Angela Jones, who has quickly risen through the ranks in Queensland racing, recording more than 450 wins since turning senior in 2023 and forming a highly successful partnership with leading trainer Tony Gollan.

With elite riders drawn from every major racing jurisdiction, the 2026 Saudi Cup International Jockeys’ Challenge once again promises to be one of the most compelling and meaningful events of Saudi Cup week, combining world-class competition with a powerful statement on opportunity and inclusion in global sport.