Saudi Cup hero Forever Young warms up for Breeders' Cup Classic bid with local Grade 2 win

Saudi Cup hero Forever Young returned from a break to win comfortably ahead of a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic in Del Mar next month.

The Yoshito Yahagi-trained four-year-old was odds-on to make a winning return at Funabashi racecourse, having last been seen finishing third in the Dubai World Cup. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young was positioned in fifth and came up to hit the front rounding the home turn. He duly pulled a length and a half clear of stablemate Revontulet in the Nippon TV Hai. 

Forever Young, a son of Real Steel and Forever Darling, was marking his ninth win from 12 starts. He had made his top-level breakthrough in December's 70th Tokyo Daishoten, having placed third in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic last season. He had also captured the UAE Derby before those Grade 1 efforts. 

Sakai said: "I was relieved as it was a race that went as I imagined. He was in perfect shape after the break but we needed a good performance before heading to America. Yes, it was a good performance.

"I've come here to win in America. I want to use the support of all of you to get a good result in the race [Breeders' Cup] with the strongest horse."

Yahagi added: "I thought he would win because he didn't stumble at the gate. After that I was just keeping my eyes on Revontulet.

"The world's best will probably be there and it will be a battle to determine the best horse in the world. I need to have him at full peak and I want to prepare with all my heart."

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