Meet the winners of the world's richest horse race, Saudi Cup

It's another historic day for the horse racing world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has just launched the world's richest horse racing event, the Saudi Cup. This newly-launched horse racing event featured eight major racing events and a total prize money of up to $29.2 million. The event, which took place at the King Abdul Aziz racecourse in Riyadh, is Saudi Arabia’s latest big sports event designed to boost the country’s battered global image as a haven for human rights abuses.

The kingdom has in recent years invested heavily in a number of major sporting events, which include hosting big-name events such as the Dakar Rally motor racing event, the Italian football Cup and the Spanish Super Cup finals.

The Saudi Cup had attracted thousands of spectators across the globe. The event brings a formidable line-up, which includes the Bob Baffert-trained McKenzie, champion filly Midnight Bisou and the 2020 Pegasus World Cup champion Mucho Gusto. The Saudi Cup is expected to increase the sport's following inside Saudi Arabia, as well as opening up the country to other global sports event.

Meet the first winners of the inaugural Saudi Cup

The American Thoroughbred Maximum Security made a strong comeback after his controversial disqualification in last year’s Kentucky Derby. The Jason Servis-trained horse has just won the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup at the King Abdul Aziz Racetrack in Riyadh, the Yahoo Sports reported.

At the Saudi Cup, Luis Saez rode the four-year-old Thoroughbred to a victory, leaving American rival Midnight Bisou in second place. Taking the third spot was the six-year-old British Thoroughbred champion Benbatl, the son of the world-famous Dubawi. The reigning Pegasus World Cup champion Mucho Gusto settled for the fourth slot.

The winner, Maximum Security, of the racing event took away a whopping $10 million in cash prize, while second-placed Midnight Bisou walked away with $3.5 million. The third-placer, Godolphin Racing’s Benbatl received $2 million in cash prize.

This is not the first time Maximum Security has competed and won in a major horseracing event. The four-year-old sired of New Year’s Day has also won the Florida Derby, Cigar Mile, and Haskell Invitational. He also won the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified due to some interference issue.