Yoshito Yahagi was as captivating as his bright red Forever Young jacket in Riyadh Thursday morning when he held court before about 50 media folk and patiently responded to a jumble of questions with answers that ran the gamut of serious, humorous, mischievous, courteous, and forthright.
Japan’s most recognisable racehorse trainer was not to be drawn into cliche about whether Forever Young has at five years old reached his peak or still has some “improvement” within his prodigious tank of innate ability.
“I don’t think any horse has their upper limits,” Yahagi said. “I won’t be able to know what the limit is for Forever Young, and I won’t assert where his limit is.”
What he did assert was that Forever Young is functioning at “over 90 percent” for his first run of the year in the G1 Saudi Cup. How close to 100 percent was not betrayed by Yahagi’s accompanying wry smile.
And that smile returned under mild interrogation about tactics from gate six when he said, “It’s possible that our horse will go to the front,” and when pressed, “probable,” he chuckled.
But wherever he settles, if the horse turns up in as good condition as he was last year, it is difficult to see a scenario in which he does not carry off the bulk of the US$20 million purse for a second year in succession, even with the Americans sending more strength this time. Notable among those are Nevada Beach and Nysos, both trained by Bob Baffert who has made a rare foray to the Middle East this week.
Yahagi, on the other hand, is a regular in these parts – Forever Young is shooting for three Saudi wins in a row having won the Saudi Derby in 2024 – and he is becoming so at the Breeders’ Cup in the US during the autumn, too. Perhaps not this year, though.
The trainer was clear in stressing that a decision has not yet been made as to whether Forever Young will defend the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic crown he took three months ago in a historic first for Japan. The shift from California to Kentucky this year is a genuine concern.
“The owner (Susumu Fujita) told me Keeneland was too far away, so we are still undecided on that,” he said, dampening a widespread assumption.
Yahagi is nothing if not a sportsman, though, and he lamented that there is to be no Saudi Cup rematch on Saturday with Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior, the horse Forever Young rallied to beat in an epic race 12 months ago.
“I think it’s a pity: we wanted to face him again,” said the seasoned competitor, who, recalling the thrilling final furlong of last year’s race added, “I thought, ‘if he can really overcome the deficit and win this race, it will be a fantastic movie ending.’ I really wanted to give Forever Young an Oscar.”
There is always a sense of the performative with Yahagi, from the hats to the jackets, the sharp wit, and when posed a question about how one data set had his horse as being exceptional, and if the Japan Racing Association (JRA) has embraced AI data science to help its trainers, he responded with a quip.
“The JRA won’t do anything for the trainers,” he said with a dose of knowing humour.
Meanwhile, Forever Young’s jockey Ryusei Sakai – a reluctant participant in the questioning – was confident in his and his horses’ abilities. When asked how many of his five rides he thought might win on Saturday, he held up his hand, showing all fingers and thumb, and declared, “Five.”
“It’s a big race, so there is always a good field,” he said of the Saudi Cup. “I just want to do my job as usual, and I believe the result will follow.”
Yahagi on the other hand displayed the self-awareness to duck from confidence to humility when he took the blame for his G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint contender American Stage’s poor run last month, referring to the horse being overweight that day as being a result of his own “incompetence.”
As for Shin Emperor in the G1 Neom Turf Cup, Yahagi said that after his heavy defeat in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the horse had regained his condition from running in the G1 Japan Cup and the G1 Arima Kinen late last year.
“I think he was really unlucky in his past two races, and you will know when you look at those races,” he said.
“The horse’s condition really depends on seasons and locations, and I think the current climate in Saudi Arabia suits him well.”
Everyone knows by now that Forever Young relishes the Saudi climate and the rich red-brown dirt on which he finds his peak stride. If Yahagi’s mood suggested he is content with the champion’s preparation his words emphasised it.
“This morning, I saw the horse for the first time in a while,” the trainer said. “That confirmed to me, the horse is ready for the race.” ∎
