Riyadh: New Zealand’s James McDonald, the recently crowned Longines World’s Best Jockey, shines in the lineup for the 2025 International Jockeys Challenge, scheduled for February 21 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. McDonald will compete a day before aiming for victory in the Saudi Cup 2025 on February 22, where he will ride Romantic Warrior in the world’s richest horse race, boasting a prize of US$20 million.
According to Saudi Press Agency, it will mark McDonald’s first competition in Saudi Arabia, adding to an impressive resume that includes 106 Group 1 victories across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain, and Japan. This year’s International Jockeys Challenge features an exciting lineup of the world’s top talent, showcasing seven male and seven female jockeys.
Participants include America’s John Velazquez and Sofia Vives, Belgium’s Christophe Soumillon, Britain’s Hollie Doyle, Ireland’s Oisn Murphy and Tadhg O’Shea, Australia’s Rachel King, France’s Maryline Eon, Switzerland’s Sibylle Vogt, New Zealand’s James McDonald and Kelly Myers, and Japan’s Manami Nagashima. Excitement builds as two prominent jockeys residing in Saudi Arabia are set to be announced later to complete the line-up.