Trainer and jockey shine in Riyadh, winning the Saudi Cup (G1) with Forever Young and the Neom Turf with Shin Emperor
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Saudi Arabia)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (From a special correspondent).- With his wide variety of hats always at hand, the Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi is gradually becoming a legend. Alongside him walks Ryusei Sakai, the jockey who often faces criticism, but responds with interesting victories and performances worthy of a high-quality professional who knows exactly what he is doing.
Together, they were major figures at the Saudi Cup (G1) meeting, clinching the biggest race thanks to the fantastic performance of Forever Young (Real Steel), who rounded off the double for Yahagi and Sakai, as earlier Shin Emperor (Siyouni) had given them another victory in the Neom Turf Cup (G2).
A champion trainer three times in Japan, at 63 years old, Yahagi added his second Saudi Cup win—having also claimed it in 2023 with Panthalassa (Lord Kanaloa)—to his international success story, which already includes 2 Breeders' Cups, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Hong Kong Cup, the Cox Plate, and the Dubai Turf, all of which are G1 victories.
"This is my second win in the Saudi Cup, but no matter how many times you win here, it always feels incredible. I didn't have confidence, I had faith in him. When he ran in the Saudi Derby last year, he wasn't in his best condition, and still won. Since then, he’s improved a lot, and now he came in better shape. I want to thank all the people at the Saudi Cup who support us. Our next goal will be the Dubai World Cup," Yahagi shared, his smile saying it all.
Meanwhile, Sakai is a true expert in major dirt races in Japan, and at 27 years old, he enjoyed the pleasure of securing his first G1 success abroad.
His jockey career began in 2016, but between 2017 and 2018, he moved to Australia to learn and improve, an experience that undoubtedly proved very useful.
Today, he savors the fruits of his partnership with Yahagi and being the man who knows Forever Young best, guiding him intelligently in the Saudi Cup.
Regarding the race, the jockey said: "He broke very well from the outermost gate, number 14, and got into a good position without problems, quickly. That was my strategy from the start. I believe in Forever Young, I never thought we would lose the race. This is the best moment of my life."
After another glorious afternoon for Japanese racing, with 4 victories at the Saudi Cup meeting, Yoshito Yahagi and Ryusei Sakai showcased their full talent with a fantastic double, benefiting, of course, from a horse with immense class like Forever Young.
