S’pore Pools ventures into Saudi Arabia racing
Dec 5 marks the first time wagering on the kingdom’s booming industry is offered here
Singapore Pools is rolling out wagering on Saudi Arabia horse racing for the first time from Dec 5.
With the United Arab Emirates market already the first successful “desert raid” under its belt, the Singapore gaming company’s new initiative aligns itself with the emergence of Saudi Arabia as a leading racing jurisdiction in recent years.
While horse racing has existed in the Middle-East oil-rich kingdom for nearly 60 years, it significantly put itself on the global racing map when the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) staged the world’s richest race at Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Racecourse since 2020 – the US$20 million (S$26.9 million) Saudi Cup (1,800m).
The 2024 renewal was won by US horse Senor Buscador for trainer Todd Fincher on Feb 24.
While the industry made its first baby steps in 1965, it was not until 1971 that it became regulated at Malaz and was registered as a full member of the Asian Racing Federation in 1999.
With an elevation of 1,646m, summer temperatures in the north-eastern town of Ta’if remain lower than in its capital Riyadh, allowing the kingdom to stage horse racing all year round despite its desertic climate.
The season is split in two – the summer season at King Khalid racecourse in Ta’if (July to September) and the winter season at the King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh (October-March).
The Riyadh racing season is highlighted by six major race weekends over a five-month period and incorporates the Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race weekend at US$37.5 million, at the end of February every year.
The undercard also includes the US$2 million Group 2 Neom Turf Cup (2,100m) on turf, the US$2 million Group 2 Turf Sprint (1,351m) on turf, the US$2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap (3,000m) on turf, the US$1.5 million Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1,200m) on dirt and the US$1.5 million Saudi Derby (1,600m) on dirt.
On the preceding day are the four legs of the International Jockeys Challenge, which was captured in 2024 by French female jockey Maryline Eon.
The King Abdulaziz Cup, a domestic Group 1 mile race for three-year-old Saudi-bred horses worth five million Saudi riyals (S$1.78 million) in December, and the Royal Cups weekend in January, are the majors building up towards the Saudi Cup.
One month before, the Listed Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup is among the last preludes to the big day.
There are over 5,000 horses in Saudi Arabia, both coming from its domestic breeding industry and imported from other countries around the world.
Most of the training is done at the racecourses themselves. However, there is a training track in Janadriyah which neighbours the King Abdulaziz racecourse.
Saudi Arabia has its own thriving breeding industry that supports around 100 race meetings each year and over 1,000 races.
Races are open to thoroughbreds, both local and imported, as well as purebred arabians. Races are either restricted to Saudi-breds only or open to both Saudi-breds and imported horses.
There are races for all classes of horses from Maidens through to restricted races, open condition races and Cup races. There are races for 2YOs, 3YOs and 4YOs and upwards as well as those restricted to fillies and mares.
To support the breeding industry, the JCSA hosts an annual yearling sale with around 500 yearlings – both Saudi-bred and imported – going under the hammer.
Graduates from that sale are eligible to participate in six races spread over the season.
Each meeting also features two purebred arabian races, with the highlights of the season for that breed being the US$2 million Group 1 Obaiya Arabian Classic (2,000m) on dirt, the Group 1 US$1.5 million Al Mneefah Cup (2,100m) on turf and the five million riyal King Abdulaziz Cup (1,600m) on dirt.
The King Abdulaziz racecourse is a 2,000-metre dirt track, 24m wide, and with two chutes off the back straight and home straight.
The races are run in the anti-clockwise direction, just like at Kranji. In January 2020, an 1,800m inner turf track was added.
For that inaugural Saudi Arabia meeting, Pools is taking the last 11 of the 12 races on the King Abdulaziz programme, with the first race kicking off at 8.45pm Singapore time.
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