2025 Saudi Cup Tips - Japanese raider a lively each-way contender

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 21 Feb 2025

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Jon Vine 21 Feb 2025

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Odds and betting predictions for the 2025 Saudi Cup
This huge Grade One takes place at Riyadh on Saturday 22nd February
Forever Young leads Romantic Warrior in the betting
Wilson Tesoro is our each-way tip at 25/1

Expired

The Saudi Cup. (Getty)

One of the world's richest horse races takes place on Saturday, as a field of the world's best flat racers battle it out in the Saudi Cup. A staggering first prize of £7.5m is on offer in this year's renewal and 14 of the sport's finest flat racers will contest the 2025 renewal.

Here's the latest betting for the Saudi Cup and our best betting tips.

2025 Saudi Cup Odds

Name	Odds
Forever Young	7/4
Fantastic Warrior	2/1
Rattle N Roll	8/1
Facteur Cheval	12/1
Ushba Tesoro	14/1
Bar	16/1

2025 Saudi Cup Runners

The short-priced favourite to win this year's Saudi Cup is Japanese raider Forever Young. Unbeaten in his homeland, Yoshito Yahagi's star won the UAE Derby in 2024, before placing third in both the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup Classic later in the year.

Hong Kong legend, Romantic Warrior will have his first run on dirt in this valuable contest, and he'll be going for a ninth Grade One victory in a row. 2024 Dubai Turf winner, Facteur Cheval will have to improve after finishing a fairly distant third on his dirt debut in the Al Maktoum Challenge.

Ken McPeek will step Rattle N Roll up in class, after watching his star romp to victory in the Saudi Cup Qualifier here at Riyadh. Ushba Tesoro will have another crack at the Saudi Cup, following his agonising defeat to Senor Buscador 12 months ago. Walk Of Stars, who thrashed Facteur Cheval in the Al Maktoum Challenge, also sits prominently in the market.

Wilson Tesoro and Ramjet renew rivalries with Forever Young after finishing second and third to the favourite in the Tokyo Daishoten in December. Other potential runners at Riyadh include Argentinian star El Kodigo, the four-year-old Al Musmak who was formerly with Roger Varian, and Wait To Excel for local trainer, Thamer Aldaihani.

2025 Saudi Cup Tips

If Romantic Warrior can transition his form to the dirt, then James McDonald's mount will be hard to beat. Only the great Golden Sixty has beaten Danny Shum's star in Grade Ones in Hong Kong and Romantic Warrior has proven himself on his travels, winning the Cox Plate and the Jebel Hatta.

The best dirt form belongs to Forever Young, who put up two huge efforts in America last year. Yoshito Yahagi's star responded to pressure well to beat Japan's other top dirt horses in the Tokyo Daishoten last month, and I doubt that a wide draw in stall 14 will stop him from mounting a challenge.

The Saudi Cup is usually won by strong finishers coming from off the pace. The exception to that rule was Pantalassa, who was handed an easy lead throughout and held on well in the closing stages. Walk Of Stars is the most obvious front-runner in Saturday's renewal and there's a chance he could have an easy time of things up front, if the likes of Al Musmak and Wait To Excel chosen not to challenge the pace.

If allowed to dictate the tempo, Walk Of Stars is good enough to maintain his front-running attempt. 16/1 is tempting from an each-way standpoint. However, WILSON TESORO (25/1) is available at an even longer price and he brings some strong form to the table.

Noboru Takagi's six-year-old is yet to win at Group One level, but that's not for the lack of trying. Wilson Tesoro has been touched off in the last two renewals of the Champions Cup by Lemon Pop, who was fancied by many to win the Saudi Cup last year. Yuga Kawada's mount was beaten half-a-length in the 2023 Yokyo Daishoten by Ushba Tesoro, finished fourth in the Dubai World Cup and was last seen following Forever Young home at Ohi in December.

Kawada opted to ride Wilson Tesoro over Ushba Tesoro that day and he's chosen to maintain that partnership on Saturday, despite last year's runner-up sitting much higher in the market. Wilson Tesoro is drawn better than his stablemate in stall four and the race should be run to suit his fast-finishing style. At 25/1, he's the best each-way bet I can find.

Live Stream

Visit our Saudi Cup Live Stream page if you want to watch this valuable contest via a mobile or tablet.

Verdict

2025 Saudi Cup

Wilson Tesoro is our each-way selection in the 2025 Saudi Cup.

Wilson Tesoro E/W

2025 Saudi Cup

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