Saudi Cup to Return in 2021 Despite COVID-19

The $20 million Saudi Cup will return for a second year Feb. 20, bucking the global pandemic challenge and continued uncertainty about the payout of purse money to the winner of the inaugural running, Maximum Security.

The 2021 Saudi Cup program will see a new race and purse increases for several of the undercard races conducted on both turf and dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said at a series of briefings Sept. 29 that Saudi officials judged the 2020 Saudi Cup as a major success and a driver for change in the country.

"It's hard to overstate the success of Saudi Cup 2020 when you consider that in year one of a brand-new international racing event, we attracted some of the very best horses, trainers, and jockeys in the world," he said.

"We witnessed 22 individual group or grade 1 winners, who had accumulated an impressive 34 wins at that level between them. That would be an excellent statistic for even the most well-established race meetings in the world, let alone to have that caliber in year one," Prince Bandar said.

The event also opened Saudi racing for the first time to female riders with New Zealander Lisa Allpress winning the first leg of the Jockey Challenge. Swiss jockey Sibylle Vogt was the overall Challenge winner with French female rider Mickaelle Michel second and Mike Smith third.

Smith was celebrated as the event's winner but was later demoted to third after one of his two winners, Bedan Alsubaie-trained Sun Hat, later tested positive for traces of cobalt, a prohibited substance, the Racing Post reported.

U.S. jockeys Smith and Irad Ortiz Jr. received lengthy suspensions and fines from Saudi officials for riding infractions related to the use of the riding crop. Saudi riding-crop rules are far stricter than those in America.

"The 2020 event was a great beginning," Prince Bandar said. "But now we turn our attention to year two and to taking on board the lessons we learned from year one."

The 2020 Cup was won by Maximum Security with star filly Midnight Bisou second and Godolphin's Benbatl third. The JCSA has withheld payment of the winner's share of the purse to owners Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partners pending an ongoing inquiry into the doping indictments lodged in the U.S. against his former trainer, Jason Servis.

The seven international races of the 2020 Saudi Cup program involved 64 foreign runners from 10 countries. Overseas raiders captured five events. Officials said they hope to expand the international scope even farther with the addition of a new race, to be run Feb. 19.

The new $500,000 Saudi International Handicap will be held over 2,100 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) on the turf track. Horses must be trained in a country that is not included among the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' Part I nations.

"With the changes we bring to Saudi Cup 2021 we hope to offer the racing and sporting public the most interesting and intriguing racecards possible, whether they are able to be with us in person or watching from home," said Prince Bandar.

Tom Ryan, JCSA director of strategy and international racing, acknowledged the event is going forward amid uncertainty given the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant travel and quarantine rules. The 2020 event was run just as restrictions were being put in place and some participants barely made it to Riyadh.

"It is nevertheless a difficult time to stage large-scale global events and we know that now the real hard work begins," Ryan said. "We will keep the lines of communication open and work closely with the authorities as we seek to hold this event in the best and safest way possible."

In addition to the new race, the JCSA announced purse hikes for three of the dirt events on the 2021 card. The Saudi Derby sees an increase from $800,000 to $1.5 million. The Obaiya Cup for Purebred Arabians will now be worth $2 million, up from $1.9 million, and the purse for The Jockey Club Local Handicap will double to $1 million up from $500,000.