Riyadh Racing Season Unveils Crown And Sword Series
Riyadh Racing Season Runs To April
The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) confirmed the 2026-2027 Riyadh Racing Season , introducing two new development series for colts, geldings and fillies and confirming the promotion of the Gr.2 Saudi Derby from Group Three, ahead of the eighth running of the Gr.1 Saudi Cup on 5 February 2027 and 6 February 2027 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh.
The season stretches from 16 October 2026 to 17 April 2027, running twice weekly on Fridays and Saturdays, and follows on from the Taif meeting, which continues from 24 July 2026 to 26 September 2026 before Riyadh takes over the Saudi domestic calendar.
The 2026-2027 Riyadh Racing Season carried SAR236.3 million (US$64.3 million) in total prize money across 50 race days, with SAR197.8 million (US$53.8 million) of that reserved for the programme's major cups, and comprised 21 feature race days built around seven marquee weekends, the Juvenile Championship, the Crown Prince Cup, the Kings' Weekend, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques weekend, the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Festival, Saudi Cup weekend and the King Abdulaziz Cup.
HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid AlFaisal, Royal Court Advisor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Equestrian Authority and of the JCSA, thanked King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for their continued backing of the sector. "This support has contributed to consolidating The Kingdom's position on the global horseracing map," Prince Bandar said, adding that the new season reflected ambitions to provide a stronger and more competitive season and to continue raising the level of racing in line with the Kingdom's global standing.
Saudi Derby Rises To Group Two Grade
The Asian Pattern Committee's promotion applies to the 1600m Gr.2 Saudi Derby, a race run on Saudi Cup day whose three Japanese winners have been Full Flat (USA), Pink Kamehameha (JPN) in 2021 and Forever Young (JPN) in 2024. Pinehurst (USA) gave the United States victory in 2022, Golden Vekoma (USA) carried UAE colours to victory in 2025, and Saudi Arabia won twice at home, through Commissioner King (USA) in 2023 and the unbeaten Al Haram (IRE) in 2026. That spread of winners across four countries in seven runnings underlined the race's international pull.
The Riyadh Crown Series, worth SAR6 million (US$1.6 million) in total, opens on 4 December 2026 with a 1400m race for two-year-olds worth SAR500,000 (US$137,100), continues on 22 January 2027 with a second 1400m Open contest for the same generation as three-year-olds worth SAR500,000 (US$137,100), and steps up to 1600m for the Domestic Gr.1 King Abdulaziz Cup, worth SAR5 million (US$1.37 million), on 12 March 2027. The Riyadh Sword Series for locally bred fillies is worth SAR1.53 million (US$419,300) and begins with the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Cup for two-year-old fillies on 5 December 2026, worth SAR300,000 (US$82,300), before stepping up to 1400m for the 1000 Guineas on 8 January 2027 for three-year-old fillies, also worth SAR300,000 (US$82,300), and concludes with the 1600m Fillies Mile on Saudi Cup day, worth US$250,000 and open to fillies trained outside Saudi Arabia as well as those trained domestically.
Both series give locally bred colts, geldings and fillies a defined route from juvenile company through to domestic Group One and Fillies Mile targets, rising in distance and grade from 1400m juvenile contests to 1600m finals across three legs apiece. The Fillies Mile stands apart as the only leg open to internationally trained fillies, positioning it as a genuine international test alongside the Saudi Cup and the newly upgraded Saudi Derby on the same card.
Founder's Cups Becomes Richest Card
Prize money rose across several established fixtures for the new season. The Gr.3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup increased from SAR1.5 million (US$408,600) to SAR2 million (US$544,700), and the Listed Crown Prince Cup rose from SAR1 million (US$272,300) to SAR1.5 million (US$408,600). The King Saud Cup and the Listed King Faisal Cup both moved from SAR800,000 (US$217,800) to SAR1 million (US$272,300), the Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Cup and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Cup climbed from SAR700,000 (US$190,600) to SAR800,000 (US$217,800) apiece, and the Listed King Abdulaziz Racecourse Championship rose from SAR300,000 (US$81,700) to SAR500,000 (US$136,200).
The Founder's Cups card moved to 12 March 2027 and now carries SAR10.9 million (US$2.99 million) in prize money, making it the richest raceday outside Saudi Cup weekend. A Listed Purebred Arabian race on the card was named the Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman bin Faisal Cup, worth SAR300,000 (US$82,300), continuing a pattern of season-specific additions that already brought the new Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Cup to the Riyadh calendar in 2026.
The 2026-2027 Riyadh Racing Season keeps its international feature days at the centre of the calendar while expanding the domestic fixtures around them, giving the Crown and Sword series and the programme's Group and Listed races their own distinct place across 50 race days of Friday and Saturday racing.