Luiz Saez will ride in the International Jockey Challenge (IJC) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on the opening day of the Saudi Cup meeting on 24 February.
Born in Panama, where he rode 37 winners before relocating to the United States, Saez will look to return from his second place in the 1351 Turf Sprint Presented by STC at Casa Creed last year, and to ride for William Mott Also ready- trained the seven-year-old once again.
Saez said: “I’ve had a good year so far and I’m really looking forward to the Saudi trip. The IJC looks like a great group of jockeys so it should be fun!
“I finished second to Casa Creed in the 1351 Turf Sprint last year and am looking forward to riding him again in that race so hopefully he can go one better. The turf was lovely so I am glad to see The fact that this year the IJC also has two races on turf.”
Saez, who attended the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting in 2020, will be joined by Brazil’s leading female rider and two-time champion apprentice, Jean Alves.
Alves became the first woman to win G1 competition in Brazil, winning the 2015 Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasileiro, and has since gone on to ride around the world, including the UK, UAE, Belgium, Sweden and Macau. The 2023 IJC marks Alves’ first visit to Saudi Arabia.
Alves said: “I am delighted to have been invited to ride in the International Jockeys Challenge at the Saudi Cup meeting. I am looking forward to riding against some of the best jockeys in the world, such as João Moreira, who at the time of my debut One of my inspirations was, and of course, the great Frankie Dettori.
Each of the four IJC races has prize money of $400,000, plus a $100,000 prize for winning the challenge itself.
The 14 jockeys are made up of seven international women riders, five international men and two local men, who receive 15 percent of the prize money in each of the four races.