The Party Begins with the International Jockey Challenge and Francisco Leandro on the Track

Friday marks the first of two days for the Saudi Cup festival; the Brazilian jockey will ride Hans Andersen in the Saudi International Handicap

Francisco Leandro will be aboard Hans Andersen in the day's main event for Thoroughbreds / DRC

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (From a special correspondent).— The 2026 Saudi Cup festival kicks off this Friday with a program featuring the latest edition of the International Jockeys Challenge, the Saudi International Handicap ($500,000 purse, 2,100m, turf), and the Al Mneefah Cup (G1, $1,500,000, 2,100m, turf) for Purebred Arabians as its main attractions.

The big news for South American racing will be the appearance of Francisco Leandro, the longtime leader of the standings in Argentina currently spending the season in Dubai. He will ride Hans Andersen (Frankel) in the Saudi International Handicap, teaming up with Argentine trainer William Segovia—represented in the programs by his wife, Veronika Jandová.

The jockeys' tournament features top-tier protagonists and others who have earned their place on the international stage through their own merit. There are 14 participants in total—seven men and seven women—and the rider who secures the most victories across the four designated races will take home the trophy.

Mickael Barzalona, Flavien Prat, Hollie Doyle, Billy Loughnane, Saffie Osborne, Dylan Browne McMonagle, and Keita Tosaki are the most recognizable names on a list that also includes Forest Boyce, Mohammed Aldaham, Panamanian Luis Morales, Angela Jones, Frida Valle-Ska, Nina Baltromei, and former winner Marie Velon.

The Saudi International Handicap is an interesting and inclusive concept that the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has been developing since the Saudi Cup's inception. It is open to horses trained in countries not included in Part I of the International Cataloguing Standards. Consequently, the field includes participants from countries rarely seen on the world's big stage, such as Belgium, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Czech Republic, among others.

The heavy favorite is Sovereign Spirit (Le Havre), arriving from Bahrain where he won the Bahrain Gold Cup (L) and the National Day Cup (L) during an impressive campaign that earned him the top weight of 62 kilos (136 lbs).

Hans Andersen, Francisco Leandro's mount, previously campaigned in Europe under the Coolmore banner—winning a G3 and placing in several stakes—before being acquired for Denmark by Segovia, where he also secured stakes wins. He will carry 54 1/2 kilos (120 lbs), among the lowest weights in the field. While his two performances at Meydan were underwhelming, they served as a tune-up for this attempt at glory.

In the Al Mneefah Cup, as is often the case with Arabian racing, the selection remains difficult due to the depth and parity of the field.