Riyadh will become a center for world horse racing: Bandar Al-Faisal
HRH, Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Equestrian Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jockey Club said that the capital, Riyadh, will become a center for the world of horse racing and the focus of the world’s attention, on the 24th and 25th of next February, in conjunction with the launch of the fourth edition of the Saudi World Cup.
The aforementioned edition will take place on the grounds of King Abdulaziz Square in Janadriyah, with a total prize pool of more than $35 million, under the slogan “We are racing the world.”
This came during a press conference organized by the Jockey Club to announce the launch of the “Saudi Cup” 2023, last week.
The current edition of the tournament received an unprecedented number of requests for participation, exceeding 1,400 requests from 22 different countries, 57% of which are requests from within. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is the highest local participation rate in the history of the “Saudi Cup” since its inception in 2020.
Prince Bandar added during the conference that the race’s slogan in this edition is the embodiment of our ambitious vision, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. As a nation, our nation is racing the world with its sons and daughters. This is to fulfill the dream of increasing the status and prestige of the Kingdom at the international level under the leadership of the Khadim. Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Crown Prince, Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
He explained that the Jockey Club and Racing Management have been keen over the past years to develop the “Saudi Cup” and bring it to the highest stages of excellence, as it is no longer just one primary race, but rather a championship that takes place over two days of distinguished races and strong competitions, among elite horses and riders, trainers and owners from around the world.
The prince spoke about his pride in what the races that accompanied the championship achieved. This is because they made it to the second tier of races in the world, and not just in the Saudi Cup round. This was reflected in the King’s Round. Having made horse racing sport the second most watched sport in the world, this action had a significant impact on the world. As evidenced by the increasing interest. The horse owners won the championship steadily, which was evident in the annual increase in the number of applicants to participate in the race.
It is worth noting that the Jockey Club has previously announced that its vision is based on the concept of a racing industry that has an economic dimension and generates huge profits, compared to other sports fields. Kingdom at the international level; and raises the economic return of the horse racing sector, which is involved in spreading sports and improving quality of life, making it uniquely qualified to contribute immensely to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
