Dubai World Cup night

Japan earned their fourth consecutive $1-million G2 UAE Derby and fifth overall with the narrow victory of Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) over the ultra game Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.) at Meydan on Saturday. The latter's jockey Saffie Osborne was attempting to become the first female rider to win a race on Dubai World Cup night. It was jockey Christophe Lemaire's second UAE Derby win after he was aboard Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in 2023. One of the fastest from the bell, he immediately glued himself...

The $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup will be run an hour later than originally planned at Meydan on Saturday, after the Dubai Racing Club took the decision on Tuesday to delay the start time for all nine races on the glittering card due to an unforeseen weather forecast. The gates at Meydan will now open at 2.30pm (local time), with the first race--the G1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians--set for 4.35pm (local time). The main event, the Dubai World Cup, will conclude the card at 9.30pm (local time). Sheikh...

Multiple group winner Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) pleased his connections with a strong gallop at Saint-Cloud on Thursday, according to trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. The Aga Khan runner is pointing toward the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Apr. 5. "All winter we decided he was a horse for the Sheema Classic," the trainer told Dubai Racing Club. "Unfortunately we have trial races at Chantilly on the polytrack and the difference between the two races was too big and I would have had to rush him coming out of...

Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) is one of 35 individual Group/Grade 1 winners set for the 29th edition of the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan on Apr. 5, as the likely fields were released on Wednesday. Worth a combined $30.5 million in prize-money, the nine races are anchored by the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, which features Forever Young, a winner of the 2025 G1 Saudi Cup, facing off with Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who won the 2023 edition of the race. The $6-million G1 Longines Dubai...

Nominations for Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Apr. 5 were released this week. Headlining the nine-race card is the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline. A total of 173 horses have been entered, led by 20 Group/Grade 1 winners. The winners from 2023 and 2024, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Laurel River (Into Mischief), respectively, have signed on, as did the world's highest-earning horse, Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who drubbed a good field in the G1 Jebel...

Scuderia la Tesa and Vaibhav Shah's Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is targeting the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night, Apr. 5. Said trainer Marco Botti of his new G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase hero, "I think we'll skip Saudi for sure and head to Dubai. After the other day we'll think about the Sheema Classic, that will be his next target all being well. "He is definitely a horse who enjoys travelling. He enjoys being away from the yard and it gives us chance to target those...

Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman's TWO RIVERS OVER (g, 4, Tamarkuz--American Cowgirl, by Cowboy Cal) closed resolutely to pip dueling leaders Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Isolate (Mark Valeski) and win the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile. Walk Of Stars was 3/4 of a length back in second, only a nostril in front of a very game Isolate. It was the first group win for the 2023 Listed Zia Park Derby winner. Both defending Godolphin Mile winner Isolate and G2 Al Maktoum Classic second Walk of Stars flashed good...

by Alan Carasso, Heather Anderson, Jill Williams & Adam Houghton DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Meydan Racecourse is the centre of the racing universe Saturday, as it stages the 28th renewal of the G1 Dubai World Cup. The dozen horses that have been entered represent ownership interests from Japan, America, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and even Libya, putting the 'World' in World Cup. Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) is back to defend the title he grabbed in 2023 and will attempt to join Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet...

Defending G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) features among 868 individual horses from 19 countries nominated to run at the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday, March 30. In total, more than 1,400 entries have been received across the nine races and Ushba Tesoro is one of 200 from Japan as he tries to become only the second dual winner of the $12-million Dubai World Cup (Sponsored by Emirates Airline) after Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in 2018 and 2019. Incidentally, Thunder Snow also won...

The full 2023-2024 programme for the Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse has been released. Running from Nov. 10 until Mar. 8, the season includes 14 meetings and precedes the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup meeting on Mar. 30. In addition, the prize-money has been increased by 27%, with the minimum per race now AED165,000. The Festive Friday card will contain six stakes races, among them the G2 Al Maktoum Mile at Meydan on Dec. 22. There is also Fashion Friday on Jan. 26, with nine black-type races on tap led...

Under a cagey Dane O'Neill ride, Danyah (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) stunned a field loaded with quality sprinters to take the $1.5-million G1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by AZIZI Developments for Shadwell and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. One of 16 entered in the 1200-metre turf feature, the 6-year-old gelding laid off the leaders as Miqyaas (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) set the pace while shadowed by Group 3 winner The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}). At the halfway point, it appeared that half of the field was in with a shot as...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- My, oh my, how times have changed. When the G1 Dubai World Cup was introduced at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse back in 1996, its $4 million in prize-money equaled that on offer for that year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic and an American clean sweep of the top three placings--won by the legendary Cigar after an unforgettable final-furlong battle with compatriot Soul of the Matter--really and truly put the race on the map. The locally owned Halling, one of four in the race for a trainer...