FOREVER YOUNG WINS THE SAUDI CUP AFTER A SPECTACULAR FINISHING LINE

A spectacular finishing line, the kind you don't expect. The Match that everyone expected, desired, which materialises at the end of the last turn. Romantic Warrior, who after moving into fifth lane seems to be able to take one bite out of his opponent, passes him, gains a length margin, but on the line of the last 200 metres weighs down the action a little, while the other one regroups and recovers him palm to palm until he is victorious on the finishing post, the only one, the true, unappealable judge.

All this was the Saudi Cup 2025 that has just ended. James McDonald spun the favourite's moves right from the start (7/4 the closing odds in Britain for Forever Young against Romantic Warrior's 2/1) by placing himself on his back then at the start of the turn he gradually widened up to place himself in fifth lane along the bend producing the maximum effort at the entrance to the finishing straight. When Romantic Warrior passed the grandstand exploded, but it continued to do so on the comeback of Forever Young with his jockey Ryusei Sakai, who had the merit of not letting go and believing it all the way. Forever Young, trainer Yoshito Yahagi and owner Susumu Fujita winning the all-Asian derby with trainer C S Shum and Romantic Warrior owner Peter Lau Pak Fai thus took home the $10 million first prize.

Yoshito Yahagi, coach, Forever Young on his second success in the Saudi Cup said: ‘No matter how many wins you have in the Saudi Cup, it still feels good. I had confidence; I believed in him. When he came here to race in the Saudi Derby, he wasn't in the best condition and he still won. Since then, he has improved a lot and he was definitely in better condition today. I would like to thank all the people at the Saudi Cup who support us. We will go to the Dubai World Cup at the beginning of April.’

Curiosity about the defeated team's statements:

‘He was brave in defeat,’ said jockey James Mc Donald, ’the race worked out perfectly for us, he rode a lopsided ride in a simply magnificent way. I can safely say that I didn't stop, I didn't change my stride rhythm at all. That shows what a fantastic horse Forever Young is that beat us and what a race it was.’

Danny Shum, trainer, Romantic Warrior: ‘He ran well. It was his first time on dirt and he ran amazing. Really well. The winner is a very good horse and he didn't beat us by much. It was his first race on dirt and he was only beaten by Forever Young and that horse is a very tough dirt horse.

‘We were only beaten by a head. It happens, what can you do? It's the first time with Romantic Warrior something like that happens. We did our best. We hope to win every time, but racing is racing. He did his best, it was a really good race and most people enjoyed it.

In the race preceding the Saudi Cup, the Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap (Group 2) Presage Nocturne The horse co-owned by Carlo Pellegatti Palo Zambelli and Alessandro Botti finished in fourth place after giving the impression that he could fight for victory.

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