Junior Alvarado and Senor Buscador bid for historic double of Saudi and Dubai World Cup

Junior Alvarado couldn’t have wished for a better result on his debut ride in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh last month.

Alvarado clinched the world's richest race for thoroughbreds in thrilling fashion aboard Senor Buscador and the Venezuelan rider now has his sights set on adding the $12 million Dubai World Cup when he rides the six-year-old son of Mineshaft at Meydan Racecourse this Saturday.

No horse and jockey has won that particular double in the same year – Panamanian jockey Luis Saez won the inaugural Saudi Cup atop Maximum Security in 2020 and then rode Mystic Guide to glory in the Dubai World Cup the following year – and Alvarado believes Senor Buscador has all the tools needed to help him create history.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to ride in Dubai, so I don’t know how different the surface is compared to Saudi, but from watching race replays, I think Senor Buscador will handle the dirt completely fine,” Alvarado said.

“If anything, the track will favour us because of the nice long straight as he’s a big horse that keeps coming and coming.”

Alvarado had a few of the runners in the Dubai World Cup’s 12-strong field behind him when winning the Saudi Cup. In Riyadh, Senor Buscador dug deep to come from way behind the field to have his nose in front in the final stride and deny the 2023 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro victory.

“The Dubai World Cup is going to be competitive. I don’t think I can point out one horse in particular, but the danger would be if there’s not enough pace,” Alvarado said.

“The pace will play a big factor, and we will try to avoid traffic when it’s time to make a run. He’s always going to show up and he’s going to run a big race, so there isn’t a specific horse to be scared of in