Saudi Cup Horse Race 2023

Saudi Cup Horse Race 2023 is the fourth edition of the championship organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was launched under the slogan "We Race the World" on February 24, 2023, and took place at ‏‏King Abdulaziz Equestrian Field in Riyadh‏‏ over two days. The event was organized by the ‏‏Jockey Club in partnership with the Ministry of Culture as part of a cultural program prepared by the cultural authorities in the Kingdom. The Ministry of Culture sponsored two of the sixteen races of the Saudi Cup, namely the "Year of Arabic Poetry Race" and the "Ministry of Culture Race." The race included individual participation from female and male riders from Japan, Europe, Australia, and the United States, with American, Japanese, and British horses, in addition to local participations.

The total prizes for the Saudi Cup 2023 were more than USD35 million (about SAR133 million), compared to approximately USD29.2 million (about SAR109 million) in the first edition in 2020.

The Saudi Cup race in the fourth edition of the Saudi Cup 2023 is considered one of the most expensive races globally, with a prize of USD20 million (SAR75 million). It is held on a dirt track over a distance of 1,800 m and is classified as a Grade One race internationally. Additionally, the ‏‏Jockey Club announced the upgrade of 'The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup to an international classification in horse races, making it the first purebred horse race in the club and one of the qualifying races for the Saudi Cup.

The fourth edition of the Saudi Cup also included a jockey challenge dedicated to purebred Arabian horses in "al-Mneefah Cup", in which eleven international jockeys competed in the eighth horse race. The prize for this race was USD1 million (SAR3.75 million).

The prizes for the Saudi Cup 2023 were distributed across sixteen races on turf and dirt tracks. The starting positions for each race were determined by a draw, with local and international horses competing for several trophies. The races on the second day were as follows:

First Race: The ‏‏Jockey Club Local Handicap with a prize of USD1 million (SAR3.75 million).

Second Race: Obaiya Arabian Classic (Purebred Arabians), with a prize of USD2 million (SAR7.5 million).

Third Race: NEOM Turf Cup, with a prize of USD1.5 million (about SAR5.6 million).

Fourth Race: 1351 Turf Sprint, with a prize of USD1.5 million (about SAR5.6 million).

Fifth Race: Red Sea Turf Handicap, with a prize of USD2.5 million (about SAR9.3 million).

Sixth Race: Saudi Derby, with a prize of USD1.5 million (about SAR5.6 million).

Seventh Race: Riyadh Dirt Sprint, with a prize of USD1.5 million (about SAR5.6 million).

Eighth Race: Saudi Cup, with a prize of USD20 million (SAR75 million).

The ‏‏Jockey Club allowed the public to book tickets to watch the Saudi Cup 2023 competitions through its website. The price of a general admission ticket was SAR199, while the price of a ticket for the al-Thuraya trackside restaurant category was SAR1,600, and SAR2,000 for the Club Majlis category, in addition to the possibility of booking tickets for the private suites category.