Forever Young made history by taking the first two wins in the Saudi Cup, the world’s premier horse race.
Trained impeccably on the world stage by Yoshito Yahagi, affectionately known as ‘The Man in the Hat’, he has campaigned for five-year-olds around the world and been rewarded for his enormous efforts, including an epic battle with Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior here 12 months ago.
Jockey Ryusei Sakai may have been momentarily worried as Bob Baffert’s Nysos got stuck behind Banishing on the track as he rose menacingly on the turn for home.
But Forever Young got the dream of running on the inside and it was the Japanese runner’s proven stamina that once again came to the fore in another thrilling finish as Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos trotted out up to ten furlongs.
“He gave me an unbelievable feeling throughout the race,” Yahagi said.
“Of course there was a lot of pressure on me before the race because he was the best in the field. I don’t think it was my training that made him such a great horse. He was just built like a champion and I think I had very little to do with it.
“Of course, our next target is the Dubai World Cup, so we have to focus on that now. And, well, I don’t know. Last year, he didn’t perform well in the Dubai World Cup, he wasn’t good enough. We’ll do our best to win this year.”
“Ryusei Sakai was my apprentice and stable jockey and he developed and developed as he grew, and he became a really good rider for us.”
Sakai said: “He is an amazing horse who has won the Saudi Cup twice. I just trust him. I have no worries, no pressure. This is my job, it is the same every time. I am very proud of him and I want to thank everyone who supported the team.”
“This race is almost like the Kentucky Derby, because if you don’t win, second place isn’t that exciting,” said Baffert, who once again came close to missing out on first place. “But the good thing is that Nysos is here. Forever Young is really good.”
“Irad (Ortiz) said Nevada Beach (No. 12) wasn’t really involved. He said he didn’t take his foot off the gas at all. I was really disappointed because he was really good over this track.”
There were also victories on the card for Karl Burke’s very impressive Royal Champion in the Neom Turf Cup under Oisin Murphy and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Sons And Lovers in the Red Sea Turf Handicap.
Burke is currently considering a trip to Dubai with the Royal Champion.
He said: “It was really good. He’s a very enterprising horse. He’s very keen on home. He’s not a runaway but we just hoped he got into a good rhythm with the right pace. Once he gets a bit of cover he’ll just travel lovely and Oisin has done fantastically well with that.
“I felt so confident when he turned into that position. He’s a horse with a foot turn who keeps galloping and maintains the travel really well. I’m really pleased.
“He’s been cleared to run in Dubai (Turf) but we’ll have to talk to the guys at Dally and see what we do. It’s a clear race for him. I don’t think going back a furlong will do him any harm. We’ll see.”
“A lot will depend on the family of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. Our thoughts are with his family. We hope they can keep the show going for now.”
