The Man In The Hat: The Perfectionist Who Chose Not To Be Perfect

Japan's Master Trainer Conquers King Abdulaziz Again

They call him the man in the hat. Standing quietly amid the post-race bustle at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Yoshito Yahagi looked less like a man who had just saddled the winner of the world's richest race than one already mapping the next campaign. His 5YO colt Forever Young had moments earlier become the first horse to win consecutive Saudi Cups, holding off Nysos by one length through the long Riyadh straight. Yet Yahagi's demeanour carried less the elation of triumph than the measured satisfaction of a plan precisely executed.

"In terms of preparation, it's true that I wasn't perfect," he reflected. "However, looking at the field this time, I felt that I had to win."
That calm admission reveals a great deal about how Japan's foremost international trainer approaches the world's richest race. Where others might peak a horse for the US$10 million first prize, Yahagi deliberately held something back.

"This is the race with the highest prize money in the world," he acknowledged. "I didn't think it would be easy to win. I understand horse racing is not that easy. But my main goal is to make him the first horse in history to win both the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup back-to-back. That's why I didn't push him to his full potential this time, with my eyes on the next race."

It is a statement that speaks to supreme confidence, not in himself, but in the animal beneath the saddle. And it invites a question the thick Riyadh sands have now answered three times in seven runnings. How did Yahagi crack the code of Arabian dirt?

A Colt Built For The World Stage

The answer begins with the bloodline. Forever Young, foaled at Northern Farm in Hokkaido, is by Real Steel, a Group One winner of the Dubai Turf whom Yahagi himself trained, and out of Forever Darling, an American-bred Grade Two winner at Santa Anita. Purchased as a yearling at the Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale for US$893,000 (¥98,000,000) by Susumu Fujita, founder and President of CyberAgent, the colt married Japanese turf bloodlines to American dirt speed. The pairing with Yahagi, who already knew the sire's capabilities intimately, proved inspired.

The results came quickly. Unbeaten at two, Forever Young announced his international credentials at three when Yahagi routed him through the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby before a gallant third in the Kentucky Derby. After winning the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in late 2025, he swept the JRA Horse of the Year award, the first dirt horse ever to do so, and collected the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Dirt Male Horse. But it is in the Gulf where his legend has grown loudest.

Reading The Riyadh Dirt

Three Group One victories from seven Saudi Cup renewals. No trainer can match that record, and Yahagi's understanding of what it takes to thrive on this surface runs deeper than mere familiarity.

It began with Panthalassa in 2023. The son of Lord Kanaloa, principally a turf performer, seemed an unlikely Saudi Cup contender, but Yahagi had noticed a pattern in the results. "Of course, we are taking on this challenge with consideration given to the horse's suitability for the track," he explained. "In the case of Panthalassa, horses with a proven track record on turf have run well in past Saudi Cups, which was a big boost."

That tactical insight, identifying that the Riyadh dirt rewards a certain turf-bred athleticism, delivered Panthalassa a stunning victory. Yahagi applied the same analytical eye when routing Forever Young through the Saudi Derby as a 3YO in 2024, using the race as an intelligence-gathering exercise for the bigger prize ahead. "There is no doubt that his success in the Saudi Derby also led to his subsequent challenge in the Saudi Cup," Yahagi confirmed. "It is true that Forever Young's high ability itself has led to his good results, but his suitability is probably not unrelated."

That suitability was put to its sternest examination across two Saudi Cup renewals. The 2025 edition, widely regarded as one of the finest dirt races ever run, saw Forever Young locked in a duel with Romantic Warrior, the Hong Kong champion who himself boasts outstanding turf form. Romantic Warrior briefly seized the advantage, and for a breathless moment it appeared Yahagi's great horse might be beaten.

The 2026 renewal proved far less dramatic, but that owed everything to the quality of preparation. Sent off at prohibitive odds, Forever Young sat along the inside rail before slipping through a gap on the turn for home and grinding clear of Nysos by one measured length. Afterwards, Yahagi distilled his relationship with this racecourse into a single, disarming declaration. "I love Saudi," he said, "and my horses love Saudi."

The Apprentice Who Learned To Wait

If Yahagi provides the strategy, it is Ryusei Sakai who executes it under pressure. Throughout Forever Young's desert campaigns, the 28-year-old jockey, Yahagi's former apprentice turned stable jockey, has matured alongside the horse.

"Japan has a lot of skilled veterans like Yutaka Take and Christophe Lemaire, so I know he still has a lot to learn," Yahagi said of his protege. "But from a young age, he's been travelling the world to gain experience, and he himself watches race footage from around the world every day, so he's really studying hard."

It was a moment in the 2025 Saudi Cup that crystallised Sakai's evolution. Turning into the straight, Romantic Warrior surged clear, and from his vantage point Yahagi felt genuine alarm. "When Romantic Warrior broke away early in the straight, I was worried, thinking, 'Oh no, he might get beaten!'" he recalled. "But Ryusei calmly said, 'It's still too early. It'll be fine, I can catch him.' When I heard that after the race, I felt like he's really grown."

That composure was equally visible in the 2026 renewal. Sakai never panicked, never rushed, and delivered Forever Young with surgical precision through that narrow inside gap on the final turn. "He's an amazing horse, two times in the Saudi Cup, and I just trust him," Sakai said afterwards. "I had no worries, there was no pressure, this is my job, the same every time."

Unfinished Business Beneath The Meydan Lights

That trust extends beyond the saddle. Forever Young has already arrived at Meydan for the US$12 million Gr.1 Dubai World Cup on March 28, accompanied by the same travelling team that has shepherded him across four countries. Yahagi places enormous value on the human element of these overseas expeditions. "We've got the same staff as before," he said. "They've travelled overseas many times and know Dubai well. That should prevent the horses from feeling any unnecessary tension. After all, if a person isn't calm, a sensitive horse will sense it."

There is, however, a shadow over the Dubai assignment. In last year's World Cup, Forever Young endured what Yahagi described as an unsettling experience during pre-race testing, reportedly isolated in a dark room for an extended period. Yahagi's frustration was palpable. "Honestly, I wish that hadn't happened," he said. Now he returns seeking to right that wrong, pursuing an ambition that has eluded him twice before. "I wanted to have the first horse to win two cups in the Middle East, both with Panthalassa in 2023 and with Forever Young last year," he said. "Since we fell short both times, that desire is even stronger now. I want to achieve it this year."

Beyond Dubai, the future remains delightfully uncertain. Immediately after the Saudi Cup, Fujita declared, "I want to aim for a third consecutive victory next year," a statement that surprised even Yahagi, who had considered this a farewell season.
"Since I was considering retiring this year anyway, I was surprised when the owner said, 'Next year's Saudi Cup too,'" Yahagi admitted. "Ultimately, the decision is up to the owner, so once it's made, we'll have no choice but to respect that and move forward."

The autumn campaign is equally fluid. Forever Young has already earned a Breeders' Cup Classic berth through the Saudi Cup's Win and You're In qualification, but Yahagi is weighing his options carefully. "Unlike the past two years, the Breeders' Cup has been held on the east coast," he noted. "Japan's Champions Cup is also one of the options. I haven't yet decided whether to go or not."

For now, the sands of the Middle East await one more examination from a trainer who has done more than any other to conquer them. Winning the two major Middle East cups remains the consuming ambition. With 11 wins from 14 career starts and earnings approaching US$30 million, Forever Young stands as the richest Japanese-bred racehorse in history, and the desert is where the richest chapters have been written.

The man in the hat, it seems, is not quite finished here. Nor the desert with him.