The world’s richest race takes place on Saturday, as Riyadh hosts the G1 Saudi Cup. The race has a massive purse of $20 million, with winning connections claiming $10 million of that pot. This year’s race looks to be one of the most competitive in the first months of the season, as a talented field will do battle over 1,800 meters on the dirt.
Saudi Cup 2022 Odds
| Mishriff | +187 |
| Mandaloun | +450 |
| T O Keynes | +650 |
| Art Collector | +800 |
| Midnight Bourbon | +1000 |
| Magny Cours | +1000 |
| Country Grammer | +1100 |
Event Details & Past Winners
This year’s Saudi Cup will be the first time that the race has been run as a Group 1. Despite always attracting a star-studded field, it was only upgraded to its current status last year by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
The timing of the race means that horses looking to run in both the Pegasus World Cup and the Dubai World Cup can run in both, with many in this year’s field likely travelling over to Dubai following this race. Mishriff is the defending champion for trainer John Gosden, as the five-year-old became the second winner of this race following Maximum Security for Jason Servis in 2020.
Mishirff- Defending Champion
The defending champion once again finds himself in a typical position, as Mishriff heads the betting. The five-year-old was excellent in this race 12 months ago, as he won by a length from Charlatan. It was a first attempt on the dirt, and he was listed as the 4/1 chance.
However, he stayed on extremely well to run clear of the field, with Charlatan back in second. He went from here last year to win the Dubai Sheema Classic in March from Chrono Genesis by a neck. His wait for a third win of the season didn’t come into G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August.
Mandaloun- Newly Crowned Kentucky Derby Winner
It has been a thrilling week for trainer Brad Cox and the connections of Mandaloun, as the four-year-old was recently crowned as the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby following Medina Spirit’s disqualification. His record on paper not look extremely solid, as he has won six from eight starts, which includes victories in his previous four runs.
He should come into this as one of the best prepared horses, as he ran for the first time in 2022 in January when winning the G3 Louisiana Stakes from Midnight Bourbon. He holds every chance once again this weekend over a familiar distance and surface.
Saudi Cup 2022 Pick
I’m going with Sealiway to win the Saudi Cup this year. Both previous winners of the race have been four-years-old, and the colt already holds a very respectable win over Mishirff when beating the favorite in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in October. I can’t stop going back to his fifth in the Arc, where he won a storming race behind Torquator Tasso, and another big run is extremely likely this weekend for a horse with a massive 2022 ahead.
Pick: Sealiway @+1400
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