Riyadh Racing Season 2026/2027 Set at SAR236.3M

The Riyadh Racing Season 2026/2027 has been announced, with racing set to run from 16 October 2026 to 17 April 2027 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in الرياض. The season spans 50 race days, held every Friday and Saturday across six months.

Total prize money for the full season reaches SAR 236.3 million. Of that, 69 major cup races carry combined prizes of SAR 197.8 million, marking one of the richest fixtures on the local calendar.

Series and cup highlights

The Riyadh Crown Series, dedicated to locally bred horses, features three legs with total prizes of SAR 6 million. The first leg for 2-year-olds over 1400 m (SAR 500,000) runs on 4 December 2026, followed by the second leg for 3-year-olds over 1400 m Open (SAR 500,000) on 22 January 2027. The series closes with the King Abdulaziz Cup, a Domestic Group 1 over 1600 m worth SAR 5 million, on 12 March 2027. The Riyadh Sword series for imported mares carries total prizes of SAR 1.537 million.

Several cups have seen prize increases. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, a Group 3 qualifier for the Saudi Cup, rises from SAR 1.5 million to SAR 2 million, while the Crown Prince Cup increases from SAR 1 million to SAR 1.5 million. The King Saud Cup and King Faisal Cup each rise from SAR 800,000 to SAR 1 million, and the Prince Naif Cup and Prince Sultan Cup each move up to SAR 800,000. The King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion prize climbs from SAR 300,000 to SAR 500,000, and the Saudi Derby has been upgraded to Group 2 status.

Feature weekends include the Juvenile Championship weekend, the Crown Prince Cup weekend, the Kings' Weekend, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques weekend. For racing fans and families in الرياض, the season offers months of free weekend entertainment and a growing stage for local and international competition.

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