The Saudi Cup 2022 could be a hotly-fought contest this year as the likes of Mishriff, Midnight Bourbon and T O Keynes prepare to do battle on the dirt of Riyadh.
Horse racing betting fans have been seizing up this race for weeks. Life Is Good’s victory in the Pegasus World Cup initially crushed his odds of winning here until it was confirmed he would not race. Meanwhile, Mandaloun and T O Keynes come into the race having won on their previous outing.
This is the richest horse race on the planet, with $10m available for the victor. That’s a big purse and it’s no wonder the world’s best horse racing trainers are focusing their efforts on the Middle East this February.
The Saudi Cup 2022 gets underway at 12:40 PM ET on Saturday, February 26th and here’s everything you need to know about the latest racing odds ahead of the showdown…
Saudi Cup 2022 Latest Odds
| Horse* | Odds | Last Race Result |
| Mishriff | 300 | 4th at Ascot, Class 1, October 2021 |
| Mandaloun | 400 | 1st at Fair Grounds, Grade 3, January 2022 |
| T O Keynes | 600 | 1st at Chukyo, Grade 1, December 2021 |
| Art Collector | 800 | 6th at Del Mar, Grade 1, November 2021 |
| Midnight Bourbon | 800 | 2nd at Fair Grounds, Grade 3, January 2022 (lost to Mandaloun) |
*All odds accurate on February 15th. This list consists solely of top six favorites.
** Life Is Good withdrawn from contention on even of Saudi Cup draw.
Saudi Cup 2022 Best Bets
Betting on Saudi Cup odds this month is a great way to follow all the action from Riyadh – and it’s fair to say the odds keep changing depending on which horses are confirmed as running.
We’re still 10 days out from the race, so we’ll have to look at the ante-post markets for clues as to who will win this encounter.
Here, we study the favorites to win the Saudi Cup 2022 and consider each of their chances…
Who will win the Saudi Cup this year?
Mishriff +300
Mishriff has the advantage of his opposition by having won this race last year. The Irish five-year-old blitzed the field in 2021 and then went on to win the Dubai Sheema Classic too.
Mishriff is a horse that tries running in the Middle East and his UK results haven’t been great this past year. It means owner Prince Faisal will be hoping for something better on his return in Riyadh – and another victory wouldn’t be a surprise.
Mandaloun +400
The four-year-old beat Midnight Bourbon by 3/4 of a length at Fair Grounds in January and looked to have more miles in his legs. That’s why trainer Brad Cox is quietly confident Mandaloun could secure victory at the Saudi Cup, should he run.
Mandaloun has not raced outside America before and will likely want jockey Florent Geroux on his back. Saudi is a different proposition altogether for this horse, who has won five of his eight career races and finished in the top three in two more.
T O Keynes +600
American and British horse racing betting fans may not know much about T O Keynes, the Japanese five-year-old that is blistering over short distances. T O Keynes won his first Grade 1 race, the Champions Cup, at Chukyo before Christmas and is a swift operator on the dirt.
The big question mark, however, is how T O Keynes will fare having traveled halfway around the world. His victory in the Champions Cup earned him automatic selection for the Saudi Cup.
Art Collector +800
Art Collector is the most experienced horse among the list of favorites, having raced 16 times in his career. He has won eight of these races and could well be in contention again here.
However, the big uncertainty around Art Collector is how he failed to even threaten the lead in November’s sixth-place finish at Del Mar. He was more than 14 lengths behind eventual winner Knicks Go that day – a sign of just how badly Art Collector ran.
Can he bounce back in training and be ready in time for Riyadh? Punters will be tempted by his price and his form pre-Del Mar was great. But question will hang over him right now.
Midnight Bourbon +800
Midnight Bourbon could be the outside horse racing tip that most people bank on. He nailed a place finish in the Preakness Stakes last year, trailed Hot Rod Charlie at Parx in September and last month was beaten at Fair Grounds by Mandaloun.
Midnight Bourbon is a lighting-fast horse but just not quite fast enough to convert great positions into race wins. But that’s why he’s the punters’ favorite for the Place or Show bets. He’ll almost certainly be within the contenders battling down the home straight – but whether he can convert his talent into a profitable finish remains to be seen.
