Ace Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has nominated Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior (IRE) as the biggest danger to his Forever Young (JPN) in the $20million Saudi Cup on Saturday.
Forever Young wins the 2024 Saudi Derby (Pic – Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Erika Rasmussen)
Yahagi is one of the most successful trainers at the Saudi Cup meeting with four wins on the board including a Saudi Cup strike with Panthalassa in 2023, while Forever Young returns as the 2024 Saudi Derby champion.
The four-year-old last year went on to post agonisingly narrow defeats in the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and comes up against dirt debutant and ten-times Gr1 winner, Romantic Warrior on his Riyadh return.
“Romantic Warrior should be the biggest danger, but he is not the only rival to us,” said Yahagi.
Forever Young touched down into Saudi Arabia last Thursday along with his stablemates Shin Emperor (FR) and Mistress (JPN), headed for the newly upgraded Gr2 $2m Howden Neom Turf Cup and the Gr3 $1.5m Saudi Derby presented by ZOOD Realty respectively.
Yahagi commented: “All the three horses had nice gallops for the final preparation before they left for Riyadh and I am very satisfied with how healthy they are at the moment.”
And the man who has broken new ground for Japan with wins in Australia’s Cox Plate, the Breeders’ Cup and multiple hits in both Saudi Arabia and Dubai, added: “Of course my goal is to win all three races.”
