RIYADH: Forever Young cemented his place in Saudi Cup history with a second consecutive victory in the $20 million race on Saturday night.
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Ridden by Ryusei Sakai and trained by Yoshito Yahagi for owner Susumu Fujita, the Japanese thoroughbred defeated Bob Baffert’s Nysos by a length to claim the $10 million winner’s share over 1,800 metres on dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Sakai, backed by a travelling Japanese fanbase, expressed pride after the race: “Forever Young is an amazing horse. I’m really proud of him and I trust him.” Asked about defending his title, he added: “I felt no pressure — this is my job.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who had saddled two runners in the main event — Nysos and Nevada Beach — had to settle for second. Despite aiming for a Saudi Cup win, he had previously tasted success in Riyadh with Pinehurst in the 2022 Saudi Derby and Imagination in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint earlier on Saturday, guided by Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat.
