Country Grammer Can Do One Better

Country Grammer Can Do One Better

Category : News - Fri 24/02/2023 - 06:41 EST

The $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) is the richest horse race on Earth and one of the newest traditions in horse racing. The race happens Saturday, February 25 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. It covers 1,800 meters (about 1 ⅛ miles), and always attracts a mix of top dirt horses and grass horses trying to test their versatility for massive spoils.

The race is one of the best betting horse races in the world thanks to its classy, international field. The winner can truly come from anywhere! Though an American horse won its first edition in 2020, a British runner won in 2021 and a longshot Saudi local took the crown in 2022. This means a chance of massive payouts!

Keep reading to find out the best horses to bet in the 2023 edition of the Saudi Cup, as well as the best websites for playing the race online!

Betting the Saudi Cup Online

As fun as it would be to experience the race in person, we cannot all travel to Riyadh. You can still be part of the action, however, by betting the Saudi Cup online in Florida! Let our experts help you choose the best online racebook! All of our recommended sites offer market-leading odds, a great user interface, and trustworthy deposits and cash-outs.

Our experts can also help you quickly and easily choose the best racebook bonuses for you! Online racebooks offer many benefits that the racetrack cannot including sign-up and deposit bonuses, wagering rebates, and even referral incentives. Taking a few minutes now to read the reviews and choose the best ones for you can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash or free bets!

These are the best places to bet the Saudi Cup online in Florida:

Handicapping the 2023 Saudi Cup

With your online racebook account set up, it is time to meet the field for the 2023 Saudi Cup and find out who has a chance to win!

2023 Saudi Cup Horses

This is the official field for the 2023 Saudi Cup including betting numbers, post numbers, trainers, and jockeys:

  1. Panthalassa (Yoshito Yahagi / Yutaka Yoshida) - Betting Number 7
  2. Taiba (Bob Baffert / Mike Smith) - Betting Number 10
  3. Crown Pride (Koichi Shintani / Damian Lane) - Betting Number 3
  4. Scotland Yard (Moutaib Almulawah / Victor Gutierrez) - Betting Number 9
  5. Sunset Flash (Naif Almandeel / Aseel Alarhani) - Betting Number 13
  6. Jun Light Bolt (Yasuo Tomomichi / Ryan Moore) - Betting Number 6
  7. Remorse (Bhupat Seemar / Tadhg O’Shea) - Betting Number 8
  8. Emblem Road (Moutaib Almulawah / Alexis Moreno) - Betting Number 4
  9. Vin de Garde (Hideaki Fujiwara / Mickael Barzalona) - Betting Number 11
  10. Country Grammer (Bob Baffert / Frankie Dettori) - Betting Number 2
  11. Lagertha Rhyme (Naif Almandeel / Ricardo Ferreira) - Betting Number 12
  12. Geoglyph (Tetsuya Kimura / Christophe Lemaire) - Betting Number 5
  13. Cafe Pharoah (Noriyuki Hori / Joao Moreira) - Betting Number 1

Keep in mind that the betting numbers and post positions in Saudi Arabia differ; this is unlike Florida or other tracks in North America, but common in the rest of the world.

When it is released, the morning line can be a good guide to who is expected to take money or not. However, the odds will inevitably move between the draw and the race. Your best bet is to watch the odds and place your wager when you see a price you like. Since online racebooks offer fixed-odds betting on many major races, you get the advantage of locking in the best price at the moment you play, just like in Las Vegas!

BovadaBetOnlineWagerWeb
Taiba+185+185+185
Country Grammer+350+350+350
Jun Light Bolt+800+800+800
Crown Pride+1200+1200+1200
Scotland Yard+1400+1400+1400
Emblem Road+1400+1400+1400
Cafe Pharoah+1400+1400+1400

2023 Saudi Cup Favorites

The likely favorites in the race are the American pair for trainer Bob Baffert, Taiba and Country Grammer. Between the two, Country Grammer is preferred. Not only does have have a more tracking-to-midpack style that plays well at King Abdulaziz, but he should be in better form this year than he was last year when he ran in the race, since he isn’t coming off an extended layoff.

Taiba fits in the field, as he ran a credible third against older in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year. But, he has yet to win against top older horses, he has yet to travel internationally, and his more forward racing style does not play as well over the deep, cushiony King Abdulaziz footing as it does on American footings -- especially since he won’t get it easy with Crown Pride up front, too.

Jun Light Bolt is the class of the Japanese contingent, with a recent win over Crown Pride in the Champions Cup. He carries a three-win streak into the Saudi Cup, but especially in dirt races favored Japanese runners tend to get overbet, and others appeal more from a value perspective.

2023 Saudi Cup Longer Shots

Lagertha Rhyme is an appealing dark-horse local. Though she has to turn the tables on Sunset Flash from last out, the extra 200m compared to that race plays to Lagertha Rhyme’s favor. She has the stamina for 1,800 meters and beyond, and she handled an outside gate well to win two starts back. Expect her to come running home very well down the lane.

Scotland Yard is another in-form local to consider for exotic plays. He has yet to face horses of this class, but being by Quality Road out of a Curlin half to Beholder, his breeding could not be better for dirt or for this 1800m distance. In fact, he won his last at 2000m to qualify for the Saudi Cup, and his form going shorter suggests he is versatile enough to cut back. He is also tactical enough to settle but get the jump on deep closers.

Japan sends a large contingent to the Saudi Cup, though many of the short-priced horses have major questions. Geoglyph is the most exciting of their contingent, and will be a solid price. Yes, he goes first-time dirt, but being by Drefong with some other dirt breeding underneath makes this an interesting reboot for his career. He has the stamina to get the trip, and excellent back class to draw on if dirt does suit him.

2023 Saudi Cup Free Picks

Now you have set up your online betting account and gotten to know the field. It is time for the best part: placing your bet! These are the best bets for Saturday’s 2023 Saudi Cup:

  • $20 to win - #2 Country Grammer
  • $10 each-way - #12 Lagertha Rhyme
  • $1 exacta key - #2 Country Grammer with #9 Scotland Yard, #12 Lagertha Rhyme
  • $0.50 trifecta key - #2 Country Grammer with #5 Geoglyph, #9 Scotland Yard, #12 Lagertha Rhyme
  • $0.20 superfecta key - #2 Country Grammer with #5 Geoglyph, #9 Scotland Yard, #10 Taiba, #12 Lagertha Rhyme
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