Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Racing Season Opens Friday with SAR 236.3 Million in Prize Money
Mdmar – Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s 2026–2027 Riyadh Racing Season gets underway on Friday, 16 October, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, marking the beginning of an ambitious six-month campaign featuring top stables, trainers, jockeys and horses.
Organised by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, the season runs until 17 April 2027, offering a record SAR 236.3 million in total prize money, the highest purse in the history of the Riyadh racing season.
569 Races Across 50 Meetings
The new season features 50 race meetings spread over 24 weeks, with a total of 569 races.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
These include 465 Thoroughbred contests and 104 Purebred Arabian races, with 35 races staged on the turf course.
A total of 52 major cups will be contested throughout the campaign, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s growing depth and competitiveness in domestic and international horse racing.
The Saudi Cup Takes Centre Stage
The eighth edition of the Saudi Cup, scheduled for 5–6 February 2027, will provide the season’s international highlight.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
The Saudi Cup weekend offers more than US$38 million in prize money across its programme, including the US$20 million Saudi Cup itself, the world’s richest horse race.
Other major fixtures include the Crown Prince Cup on 27 November, the Kings’ Weekend on 18–19 December, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup on 8 January, and the Founder’s Cups on 12 March 2027, with SAR 10.9 million allocated to its principal cup races.
New Racing Series and Increased Prizes
The 2026–2027 season introduces significant developments designed to strengthen racing standards and support Saudi breeding.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, a Group 3 qualifier for the Saudi Cup, has seen its purse increase to SAR 2 million, while the Crown Prince Cup has been raised to SAR 1.5 million.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
The new Riyadh Crown Series for locally bred horses will feature three legs offering a combined SAR 6 million, while the Riyadh Sword Series for imported mares carries SAR 1.537 million in prize money.
Another major development is the Saudi Derby’s official promotion to Group 2 status, reflecting the growing international standing of Saudi racing.
A Complete Racing and Entertainment Experience
Beyond the racetrack, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia will offer cultural activities, family entertainment and hospitality experiences throughout the season, transforming King Abdulaziz Racecourse into a major weekend destination.
Opening weekend begins on Friday, 16 October, with a second race meeting on Saturday, 17 October, launching another significant chapter in Saudi Arabian racing as the countdown to the Saudi Cup 2027 gathers momentum.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
