The Pegasus World Cup may have a rival on the horizon. With the massive purse of $16 million, the grade 1, Pegasus World Cup sits comfortably as the richest race in the world. However, that may change in the near future as a race of riches in Saudi Arabia is in the making.
The Saudi Arabian General Sports Authority has recently declared that there are plans of running a race called the King Abdulaziz Horse Championship in the Middle East. The goal for this event is to attract international competition and bring the best that the sport has to offer together in the ultimate showdown of riches. A date for the running of the King Abdulaziz Horse Championship has not yet been announced but it is expected to take place on a dirt track at the King Abdulaziz racecourse. The purse for the championship race is set at the lofty amount of $17 million.
There are very high hopes for this new championship race. The King Abdulaziz Horse Championship aims to draw a field that will "rival the Kentucky Derby in size" and attract top horses from all over the world. With the alluring $17 million purse on the line, the Saudi Arabian General Sports Authority might just get what they want when they say that the goal is to attract a large, international field of world class athletes.
As of now, the Pegasus World Cup remains as the richest race in the world. The $10 million, Dubai World Cup sits comfortably in second, along with the $10 million Everest, which is a turf race in Australia. However, if everything goes according to plan for the King Abdulaziz Horse Championship, it will easily surpass the other races in terms of opulence and depth.
Never one to be outdone, there have been rumors that the Dubai World Cup may raise its purse at some point in the future. And let's not forget that the Pegasus World Cup went from a $12 million purse to a $16 million purse after only one year. The desire to hold the title of the worlds richest race is burning hot between the tracks. It will be interesting to see how things unfold when it comes to who will own the illustrious title of the richest race in the world.
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