Defending champion Forever Young (JPN) will return to Riyadh in February as the headline act in a deep, international likely field for the 2026 Saudi Cup, with American powerhouse Bob Baffert set to saddle two of the principal challengers.

The Yoshito Yahagi-trained star, who edged out Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior (IRE) in a stirring finish last year, is bidding to become the first horse to win the world’s richest race twice. The USD$20 million Group 1 will again be staged over 1800m on dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on February 14, the centerpiece of the two-day Saudi Cup meeting.

Japan will field three runners in the feature, with Forever Young joined by Luxor Cafe (USA), trained by Noriyuki Hori, and Sunrise Zipangu (JPN), representing Kyoko Maekawa, the first female trainer to have a Saudi Cup runner. Forever Young’s return carries added historical weight for Yahagi, who already owns two Saudi Cup victories following Panthalassa’s success in 2023.

The United States will be strongly represented with six likely runners, led by Baffert’s pair Nysos (USA), a Breeders’ Cup Mile winner, and Nevada Beach (USA), the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes victor who finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. They anchor a formidable American contingent that also includes Steve Asmussen’s Magnitude (USA), who recently defeated Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show (USA) in the Clark Stakes.

Kenny McPeek’s Rattle N Roll (USA) is set to return to Riyadh after winning the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup last season and finishing fifth in the Saudi Cup itself. The colt is partly owned by Saudi interests Sharaf Al Hariri in partnership with Lucky Seven Stables. Completing the US challenge are David Jacobson’s Banishing (USA) and Bishops Bay (USA), the Brad Cox-trained Cigar Mile winner who now races in the colors of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons following his November purchase.

Local hopes are led by Mhally (GB), who earned his place by winning the same qualifier as Rattle N Roll did a year ago, and Star Of Wonder (USA), unbeaten in two Riyadh starts and the recent Listed King Faisal Cup winner. Star Of Wonder also carries the White Stable silks of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons.

Beyond the Saudi Cup itself, the undercard again reflects the meeting’s global reach. The Howden Neom Turf Cup, now upgraded to Group 1 status and worth $3 million, has drawn a high-class international field. Yahagi’s Shin Emperor (FR) returns to defend his title and faces stiff competition from Karl Burke’s Bahrain International Trophy winner Royal Champion (IRE), George Boughey’s new recruit Survie (IRE), and Saudi qualifier Bolide Porto (IRE).

French trainer Jérôme Reynier is also set to reroute Facteur Cheval (IRE) back to turf after a dirt experiment last year, while the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap sees Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien dominate the entries with three runners, including Group 2 winner Tennessee Stud (IRE). Willie Mullins, successful in the Neom Turf Cup in 2021, has entered Absurde (FR).

Speed specialists will clash in the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint, where Royal Ascot winner Lazzat (FR) headlines a field that includes former winner Annaf (IRE) and multiple American raiders. On the dirt, the Riyadh Dirt Sprint again pits US and Japanese sprinters against each other, with Baffert’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Imagination (USA) among those engaged.

The Saudi Derby, offering 30 Kentucky Derby points to the winner, is shaping as another international showdown, while the Saudi International Handicap has, for the first time, attracted likely runners from Belgium and Denmark, underlining the meeting’s expanding global footprint.

Purebred Arabians also take center stage in two Group 1 contests, with France and Saudi Arabia expected to dominate the Al Mneefah Cup on turf and the Obaiyah Arabian Classic on dirt, respectively.

With total prize money across the weekend approaching $40 million, the 2026 Saudi Cup meeting once again positions Riyadh as one of the sport’s key global crossroads — and all roads now lead back to Forever Young as he attempts to write a unique chapter in racing history.

Image JCSA