Ahead of Saturday's Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse, Geoffrey Riddle breaks down everything you need to know about the world's richest night of horse racing.
What is the Dubai World Cup?
The Dubai World Cup is the most valuable horse race in the world, worth US$10 million (Dh36.7m) thanks to the sponsorship of Emirates Airline. It is a Group 1 race run over 2,000 metres.
Overall on Dubai World Cup night there are nine races with prize-money on the day totalling $30 million.
*All scheduling and course information is currently via race organisers and will be updated if changed
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[ – The National’s Dubai World Cup 2015 racecard interactive ]
When is it?
The Dubai World Cup will be staged on Saturday, March 28. Should you want to get involved sooner, you can attend morning track work at Meydan at the lavish Breakfast With The Stars event that boasts horses working on the racecourse interviews with trainers, jockeys, owners and other entertainment. Full breakfast and entertainment starts at AED325, and AED175 for children aged 5-12.
Gates open on World Cup night at midday, with the first race run at 4.30pm.
4pm - Dubai Kahayla Classic, US$1m (Dh3.67m)
4.40pm - Godolphin Mile, $1m
5.15pm - Dubai Gold Cup, $1m
5.55pm - UAE Derby, $2m
6.30pm - Al Quoz Sprint, $1m
7.05pm - Dubai Golden Shaheen, $2m
7.40pm - Dubai Turf, $6m
8.15pm - Dubai Sheema Classic, $6m
9pm - Dubai World Cup, $10m
Tickets:
Most of the best tickets, hospitality packages and boxes at Meydan are sold out. What is left are Apron Views that are nestled in between the track and the giant Meydan grandstand. The Apron Views is the stage on which the Jaguar Style Stakes are held, a cornucopia of hats, dresses, fascinators, colour and flesh all in the name of Best Dressed Woman, Man, and Couple.
*Official ticketing information can be found at the Dubai World Cup website here
Where is it?
The Dubai World Cup has been held at Meydan Racecourse since it was first built for the 2010 World Cup.
The racecourse can most easily be reached from D69 via Sheikh Zayed Road. D69 can also be accessed from the Dubai-Al Ain Road.
*A map is available below
What is special this year?
This year will be the first time since the World Cup was staged at the old Nad Al Sheba racecourse in 2009 that the World Cup, Dubai Golden Shaheen, UAE Derby and Godolphin Mile are held on dirt. Last year Meydan had a synthetic surface called Tapeta, but it was replaced last season to a sand-based surface.
Will we see the big stars?
Undoubtedly. California Chrome is the favourite for the Dubai World Cup, having won the first two legs of America’s cherished Triple Crown before suffering an injury coming out of the stalls in the Belmont Stakes in June. It is the US horse of the year, while Main Sequence, the US Turf Horse of the year, lines up in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Epiphaneia, from Japan, was rated as the second-best horse in the world last year behind the now-retired Just A Way and will take its chance in the World Cup, as will Godolphin’s African Story, last year’s winner.
Hong Kong raider Amber Sky will also be defending its crown after breaking the track record 12 months ago when winning the Al Quoz Sprint.
Former England footballer Michael Owen’s Brown Panther will run in the Dubai Gold Cup, and if that is not stardust enough, Kylie Minogue will be performing a “high-octane” concert following the big race.
Horses to watch out for:
Lea is many people’s idea of the Dubai World Cup winner, and as Bill Mott trains the American raider there would be a beautiful symmetry to a victory. Mott trained Cigar to win the inaugural running of the World Cup in 1996 and would be a fitting winner of the 20th running of the world’s most valuable race.
If California Chrome failed to win the Triple Crown in America, Sir Fever secured the Uruguayan version last season. Unbeaten in 10 starts, Sir Fever could not maintain its flawless record on its first outing in Dubai but could well have needed the run in preparation for the UAE Derby. A mention has to go to Tamarkuz, which has set alight the Dubai World Cup Carnival this season with some breathtaking, and downright heroic performances in victory. There would be no more popular UAE winner on the night if Tamarkuz won the Godolphin Mile for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
What are the main talking points?
American runners. In the first 14 years of the Dubai World Cup, the Americans won eight times. Since the World Cup was moved to the Tapeta surface at Meydan, the American challenge became weaker, until last year just three US horses came to Dubai, none of which ran in the World Cup itself. The Americans travelled over with 16 horse this time — it could have been many more had injuries not intervened, and they mean business.
Mike de Kock has had a runner in the World Cup every year since Meydan Racecourse was built for the 2010 World Cup but for the first time since 2007 the feature race will be without a horse from Blue Stables.
The most successful international trainer in the UAE has only seven runners across the nine races — not a great record for a man who started the season with over 40 horses.
Anything else to watch out for?
Did we say Kylie Minogue was performing after the Dubai World Cup?
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