The bank manager of the winning horse of this Saturday’s big horse race Saudi Arabia will be a happy person as the Saudi Cup prize money is the richest on offer for any race in the world.
But just how much is the 2025 Saudi Cup prize money and what can the winning horse/owner expect to walk away with?
Saudi Cup Prize Money 2025 Purse Stands At $20 Million
It’s only the sixth running of the Saudi Cup, but already this race has the tag of being the richest horse racing in the world – wow.
This is because there is a staggering $20m Saudi Cup prize purse on the table for the winning horse. Which is $8m more than the Dubai World Cup, which is run in March.
The 2025 running will have a big presence from the Far East with the Japanese-trained Forever Young heading the market with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK.
Japan will look to win the race for a second time after winning the lucrative pot in 2023 with Panthalassa.
He’ll take on 13 others, but it’s the Hong Kong raider and prolific winner Romantic Warrior who looks his main threat. This 7 year-old has won over $22m during his career but will be hoping to add the big $20m Saudi Cup prize money to that haul.
Saudi Cup Prize Money Breakdown 2025 – The Winner Will Get $10m
See below the full Saudi Cup prize money split and just where all the $20 purse goes.
You will notice that the winner will get 50% of the purse – banking a staggering $10m, and with winning jockey’s getting on average 10% of any winning prize money they can expect to walk away with around $1m. Not bad for a few minutes work.
The Saudi Cup prize money for second is then $3.5m, with the third getting $2m.
While even the horse that finishes back in 10th will bank their owners a cool $200,000.
Saudi Cup Prize Money: 1st to 10th
- 1st – $10m
- 2nd – $3.5m
- 3rd – $2m
- 4th – $1.5m
- 5th – $1m
- 6th – $600k
- 7th – $500k
- 8th – $400k
- 9th – $300k
- 10th – $200k
Saudi Cup Fourth Will Still Win More Than City Of Troy Did For Landing The Epsom Derby
To compare this to two of the biggest horse races in the UK – the winner of the 2024 Grand National I Am Maximus won £500k (approx. $629k).
With last season’s Epsom Derby winner City Of Troy collecting £882,407.60 (approx. $1.1m).
Meaning even the Saudi Cup fourth will win more than City Of Troy banked for winning the Derby.
While the 2025 Saudi Cup prize money also tells us the 5th and almost the 6th – will get more than the 2024 Grand National winner I Am Maximus.
What Time Will The Saudi Cup Be Shown In The UK?
The 2025 Saudi Cup will be run on Saturday 22nd February at 5:40pm GMT.
With Saudi Arabia three hours ahead of the UK, this means the race will go off at 8:40pm local time.
How To Watch The 2025 Saudi Cup In The UK
You can watch the 2025 Saudi Cup in the UK and across the world via various channels.
- UK – Sky Sports
- Ireland – Virgin
- USA – Fox Sports 1, Fox Sport 2
- Canada – TSN
- Middle East – Saudi TV, Twitter
- South America – ESPN Latin America
Saudi Cup Runners 2025: Headed By 2024 Kentucky Derby Third Forever Young
Top Japanese horse Forever Young and Romantic Warrior from Hong Kong will take up the bulk of the betting market in what looks a two-horse shoot out for the big Saudi Cup purse.
Forever Young will head to the Saudi Cup with seven wins (from 9) and has won $4.2m in total prize money.
His last run was a win in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten at the end of 2024. While last year he also ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, won the Japan Dirt Classic and was third in the Kentucky Derby (watch below).
Romantic Warrior has won 18 of his 23 starts and was last seen winning the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan (watch below), plus the horse also won the 2024 Hong Kong Cup.
It’s all set up to be a fasinating battle.
- Al Musmak
- Defunded
- El Kodigo
- Facteur Cheval
- Forever Young
- Intense For Me
- Ramjet
- Rattle N Roll
- Romantic Warrior
- Ushba Tesoro
- Wait To Excel
- Walk Of Stars
- Wilson Tesoro
- Wotton’sun
- Scotland Yard (Res)
WATCH: Forever Young Running Third In The 2024 Kentucky Derby
WATCH: Romantic Warrior Winning The Jebel Hatta at Meydan
How Does The Saudi Cup Prize Money Compare To Other Top Horse Races?
| Race | Purse $ |
| Saudi Cup 🇸🇦 | $20 Million |
| Dubai World Cup 🇦🇪 | $12 Million |
| The Everest 🇦🇺 | $9.6 Million |
| The Golden Eagle 🇦🇺 | $6.4 Million |
| Breeders’ Cup Classic 🇺🇸 | $6 Million |
| Dubai Sheema Classic 🇦🇪 | $6 Million |
| Arima Kinen 🇯🇵 | $5.9 Million |
| Japan Cup 🇯🇵 | $5.9 Million |
| Dubai Turf 🇦🇪 | $5 Million |
| Melbourne Cup 🇦🇺 | $5 Million |
| Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe 🇫🇷 | $5 Million |
Saudi Cup Winners
- 2024 – Senor Buscador 🇺🇸
- 2023 – Panthalassa 🇯🇵
- 2022 – Emblem Road 🇸🇦
- 2021 – Mishriff 🇬🇧
- 2020 – Midnight Bisou 🇺🇸
