Venniker Has A Potentially Lucrative Opportunity In Saudi

Rachel Venniker has a potentially lucrative opportunity in the Saudi Cup meeting’s International Jockeys Challenge to be held on Friday.

Last year the jockeys received 15% of the prize-money their mounts earned in each of the four $400,000 races in which they competed and there was a further $100,000 for the overall competition, with $30,000 of that going to the champion.

The race card is not out yet so it is unknown how much the races are worth this year, but presumably the structure is the same as last year.

Meanwhile the provisional field for the Saudi Cup has been announced (see bottom of this article).

It will be the world’s most valuable horse race.

The King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh will host two days of action from Friday, building up to the main Saudi Cup race on Saturday.

The main race is the richest horse racing event in the world, with a purse of $20m (£15.86m) on offer.

“It is, without doubt, the most significant event in the history of horse racing in Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates our resolve to develop this great sport,” HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said after launching the event.

“And also our ambition to become a leading player on horse racing’s world stage.”

Saudi Cup – provisional field

horse, trainer, nation

1 Carmel Road (USA) Abdullah Albadah Saudi Arabia

2 Crown Pride (JPN) Koichi Shintani Japan

3 Defunded (USA) Abdulaziz K Mishref Saudi Arabia

4 Derma Sotogake (JPN) Hidetaka Otonashi Japan

5 Hoist the Gold (USA) Dallas Stewart United States

6 Lemon Pop (USA) Hiroyasu Tanaka Japan

7 Meisho Hario (JPN) Inao Okada Japan

8 National Treasure (USA) Bob Baffert United States

9 Power In Numbers (USA) Ahmed Mohamoud Saudi Arabia

10 Saudi Crown (USA) Brad Cox United States

11 Senor Buscador (USA) Todd Fincher United States