Saudi Arabia unveils 2026 International Jockeys’ Challenge
Seven women, seven men to fight it out in annual series
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Leading Saudi jockey and 2025 International Jockeys’ Challenge winner Muhammad Aldaham will attempt to retain his crown in the annual series at King Abdulaziz racecourse on Feb 13.
PHOTO: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
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RIYADH – Japan Cup hero Mickael Barzalona, newly appointed Irish champion Dylan Browne McMonagle and 2025 winner Muhammad Aldaham have been unveiled by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) as part of the 2026 Saudi Cup International Jockeys’ Challenge at King Abdulaziz racecourse on Feb 13.
The seven women and seven men who will compete in the four-race series over the big weekend includes global representation, featuring leading UK riders Saffie Osborne and Hollie Doyle, Marie Velon from France, Australia’s Angela Jones and the American-based Frenchman Flavien Prat and the United States’ Forest Boyce.
Two of the men are local-based jockeys. Panamanian-born Luis Morales, who has over 600 wins to his name in Saudi Arabia alone, joins defending champion Aldaham in the line-up after the latter created history in 2025 as the first Saudi jockey to triumph.
Barzalona will be aiming to carry through his remarkable run of form from 2025, a year in which he won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI Stakes, England’s Champion Stakes and the Japan Cup on recently voted Longines World’s Best Horse of 2025 Calandagan, in addition to notable strikes in the French 1000 Guineas and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Joining Frenchman Barzalona is 22-year-old Browne McMonagle, who is a multiple Group 1 winner and was crowned Irish champion jockey last November. Since December, the Northern Irishman has been plying his trade in Hong Kong, where he already boasts two wins.
Like Barzalona and Browne McMonagle, Prat will be making his debut in the IJC, having established himself as a dominant force in American racing. He won the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House and has multiple Breeders’ Cup wins, including in the 2022 Classic on the brilliant and unbeaten Flightline.
Completing the men’s team are Keita Tosaki, one of Japan’s leading riders with over 4,000 wins aboard champions such as Real Impact and Danon Decile, and rising British rider Billy Loughnane.
At the age of 17, Loughnane was crowned champion apprentice and just two years on, is a Group 1 winner.
On Dec 31, he made modern-day history with the most number of wins in a calendar year with 223.
Both Doyle and Osborne are previous participants, with Doyle making her third appearance, having starred in 2025 and 2021 when she also won the Neom Turf Cup for Irish mastermind Willie Mullins aboard True Self.
The Classic-winning rider has partnered multiple Group 1 winners and heads to Riyadh after a successful stint in Hong Kong through the latter part of 2025.
Osborne returns after appearing in 2024 and has broken new ground since by partnering Heart Of Honor in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the US last year, and the duo have since dazzled with wins at Meydan in Dubai.
Boyce is a multiple graded stakes-winning jockey, one of Maryland’s most accomplished riders and makes her first appearance in Riyadh.
With over 1,000 victories and US$40 million (S$51.3 million) in earnings, Boyce will be joined by Jones who has quickly risen through the Queensland ranks.
Since transitioning to senior status in 2023, Jones has recorded over 450 career wins from more than 2,800 rides and has partnered regularly with leading trainer Tony Gollan, forming one of Queensland’s most successful jockey-trainer combinations.
European women are strongly represented with six-time winner of the Cravache d’Or Féminine (female Golden Whip) Velon returning, along with debutantes Nina Baltromei and Frida Valle-Skar.
Baltromei is a German jockey who made history in 2025 as the first woman ever to win the Deutsches Derby.
Similarly, Sweden’s Valle-Skar boasts over 230 wins from more than 2,800 rides. Last year she became the first female jockey to ride the winner of the German 2000 Guineas at Cologne, aboard Matilda, the first winning filly in 54 years.
Among Velon’s 600 career wins, her most famous is with Iresine in the Group 2 Prix Foy (2023) and Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak (2022).
Said Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al Faisal, chairman of JCSA: “The Saudi Cup International Jockeys’ Challenge has always been a favourite part of Saudi Cup weekend for me.
“It is the only challenge in the world that includes equal numbers of men and women competing as individuals and it has been gratifying to see so many winners from different parts of the world since its inception in 2020.
“The JCSA is proud to promote this event with its equal opportunities for men and women, and we are glad to echo this key message shared by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – which is a guiding light for all sport in Saudi Arabia.
“Last year we celebrated the first victory by a Saudi jockey and Muhammad Aldaham is back this year to defend his title, may he have the best of luck.
“Jockeys are tremendous and inspiring athletes and I look forward to personally welcoming them all to King Abdulaziz racecourse and The Saudi Cup. The best of luck to all participants.” JOCKEY CLUB OF SAUDI ARABIA
