Dubai World Cup

Dubai horse racing brings untold riches to the thoroughbred world, none more so than with the annual Dubai World Cup, held each March at the spectacular Meydan Racecourse.

The Dubai World Cup, which carries prize money of $12 million is the centrepiece of a jaw-dropping $35 million card which is one of global racing’s biggest days of the year. The event follows the Dubai Racing Carnival, which is 10 meetings between January and March.

The Dubai Racing Carnival culminates in Super Saturday, which provides the major prep for Dubai World Cup contenders.

The next running of the Dubai World Cup will take place at Meydan on Saturday, March 28, 2020.

The Dubai World Cup was held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse until 2009 and then moved to the glittering new surroundings of Meydan from 2010 onwards. The race is open to four-year-olds and upwards from the northern hemisphere, and three-year-olds and upwards from the southern hemisphere.

Run over 2000m (around 10 furlongs), the Dubai World Cup takes place on a dirt surface and often sees the cream of the United States Classic crop come over to take on challengers from Europe and beyond.

The Dubai World Cup picture will start to become clearer early in 2020 when trainers confirm plans for their stable stars. Ante-post betting on the race will be available ahead of the event with major bookmakers

We at The Winners Enclosure will be studying each and every runner for the 2020 Dubai World Cup. Look out for our race previews in the weeks leading up to the race.

Our big-race selection, made by our team of betting tipsters, will be found on our daily horse racing tips page on the day before the race. We will also carry the latest news including entries, ante-post updates and barrier draw details as soon as it is announced.

Meydan, as detailed, is a spectacular setting for the world’s richest horse race. The race is now run on a dirt track, having for several years taken place on a Tapeta synthetic surface.

Meydan has the longest grandstand in the world (more than one mile in length) and can hold up to 60,000 spectators.

The dirt track at Meydan is a left-hand circuit with a total distance of 8.75 furlongs.

From a draw perspective, there appears to be a clear disadvantage for runners who are drawn wide in the Dubai World Cup, while low to middle stalls are optimal for the major contenders. While the wide draw is a big barrier to success it isn’t impossible to overcome, as Thunder Snow proved when scoring from stall 10 in 2018 and stall 12 in 2019.

Four and five-year-olds have the best record in the race, with the former triumphing on 10 occasions and the latter eight. The oldest horse to win the race was the eight-year-old Prince Bishop for trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey William Buick in 2015.

The first Dubai World Cup was won by the mighty American superstar and future Hall Of Famer Cigar back in 1996. That was a fitting start to this glittering event, and since then some of the world’s greatest horses have prevailed.

The brilliant Dubai Millennium, running in the colours of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, scorched to a memorable victory in a record time at Nad Al Sheba back in 2000.

Curlin, winner of the Preakness Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2007, followed up by taking Dubai World Cup glory in 2008, while 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome reigned supreme in 2016.

The Bob Baffert-trained Arrogate - winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2016 - claimed the 2017 Dubai World Cup despite being last with apparently no chance in the early going.

2018 and 2019’s runnings of the Dubai World Cup have led to the race’s first multiple winner. Godolphin’s Irish-bred Thunder Snow triumphed in both races under brilliant Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon.

Saeed bin Suroor with nine successes has most victories by a trainer in the Dubai World Cup while American Jerry Bailey is the leading jockey with four victories. Godolphin unsurprisingly top the owner charts by claiming the prize eight times.

The last 10 winners of the Dubai World Cup are as follows:

2019: Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon)

2018: Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon)

2017 Arrogate (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith)

2016 California Chrome (Art Sherman/Victor Espinoza)

2015 Prince Bishop (Saeed bin Suroor/William Buick)

2014 African Story (Saeed bin Suroor/Silvestre de Sousa)

2013 Animal Kingdom (Graham Motion/Joel Rosario)

2012 Monterosso (Mahmood al Zarooni/Mickael Barzalona)

2011 Victoire Pisa (Katsuhiko Sumii/Mirco Demuro)

2010 Gloria de Campeao (Pascal Bary/T.J Pereira)

As detailed already, the Dubai World Cup is the feature race on a glittering card with total prize money of $35million. It is supported by a string of other top-class heats which make the day spectacular viewing for horse racing fans.

The Dubai Sheema Classic, run over 12 furlongs on turf, is another Group 1 prize with a huge purse, and was taken by Godolphin star Old Persian in 2019.

The Dubai Turf meanwhile (again Group 1) was taken by the sensational Japanese star Almond Eye in 2019. The Al Quoz Sprint (6f on turf), went to Godolphin’s Blue Point.

The UAE Derby is another Group 1 on the card, run over 9.5 furlongs on dirt. This was won by 25-1 US-trained outsider Plus Que Parfait in 2019.

Meydan is quite simply a staggering creation - almost a fantasy racecourse. It is quite fitting then that the racecourse’s interior was used as one of the locations for the filming of blockbuster film Star Trek Beyond.

The course is located in Meydan City, Dubai and opened its doors to the public on March 27, 2010. Among other incredible things it boasts a five-star trackside hotel, a string of gourmet restaurants, a racing museum and a host of palatial corporate suites.

The racecourse also plays host to other major events and has played host to world-famous musicians Lady Gaga, Elton John and Janet Jackson among others.