UAE

A record crowd of more than 65,000 attended Saturday's Dubai World Cup night card at Meydan in Dubai. It was the 29th edition of the nine-race spectacle, which featured $30.5 million in purses. The evening's crown jewel, the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, was captured by Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) for trainer Brad Cox and owner Wathnan Racing. Next year's edition will mark the 30th edition of the Dubai World Cup and it will be held on Saturday, March 28. "This year's Dubai World Cup meeting was nothing short...

The royal blue silks of Godolphin have been carried to victory a record 11 times in the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes sponsored by Emaar, and on Friday, it is the task of First Conquest (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) to make it a dozen such wins. A debut winner at Newmarket last April, the bay is on a two-race winning streak, having claimed a handicap there in July, before making his 4-year-old bow a winning one in an 1800-metre turf handicap over this course on Jan. 10. "First Conquest won impressively on...

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...

He is 22 months into a two-year contract to train privately in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud, a move that rejuvenated his career, but Jimmy Jerkens said he is ready to come home. Jerkens told the TDN that when his contract expires in March he will return to U.S. and resume his career at the NYRA tracks. It's not that Jerkens hasn't done well in Saudi Arabia. He's had 21 winners during his time there. And it's not that he doesn't have any quality horses. "We've...

Facing some stiff competition, the lightly raced Meshtri (Medaglia d'Oro) prevailed in the G2 Al Maktoum in the colours of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Friday. In charge once the gates flew open, the Michael Costa trainee set the pace while pressed by Desert Wisdom (Dubawi {Ire}). A touch keen once on the backstretch proper, the freewheeling bay never shook off that foe completely. Positions were largely unchanged on the bend, but he was doing it well enough. Desert Wisdom caved prior to the 500-metre mark, but Qareeb...

3rd-Meydan, AED210,000, Cond., 12-20, NH 2yo & SH 3yo, f, 1400m, 1:25.50, ft. FLAMA SUNSHINE (f, 2, Flameaway--Charming Emmy, by Sky Mesa) second to the scratched Arigatou Gozaimasu (Honest Mischief) on her debut in November, led from flagfall en route to a two-length victory in the Shahama Stakes Sponsored by Emaar. Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) unleashed a furious rally to take second, 2 1/2 lengths to the good of Taswaheen (Mendelssohn). "She was very professional," said Tadhg O'Shea. "She won a trial around here but was quite green last time....

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...

by Alan Carasso & Heather Anderson Trainer Chad Summers knows the nooks and crannies of Meydan, having saddled Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) to victories in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2017 and again in 2018. With Dubai World Cup just a couple of months down the road, the horseman is back in the Emirates for Friday's newly upgraded G1 Al Maktoum Challenge-R2 and is in with a big chance in the form of RRR Racing's Clapton (Brethren). The Florida-bred 5-year-old was acquired privately by these connections last summer and...

Purses will rise 27% during the 2023-2024 Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse, the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) announced earlier this week. The new minimum purse of AED165,000 will be for non-stakes races, while all Group 1 races will be increased to a purse of at least AED1 million. The prize-money of $30.5 million on Dubai World Cup night will remain unchanged. In addition, all Meydan cards will feature nine races except for the first two. Other changes revealed by the DRC include two new feature race nights: Festive Friday...

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...

The 2022/2023 racing programme for Meydan Racecourse, as well as the enhanced $7.5-million Dubai World Cup Carnival programme, was revealed by the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) on Friday. The UAE's signature racecourse will kickstart its season on Nov. 4, the first of 21 meetings planned for the upcoming season. Next year marks the 20th edition of the DWCC, which starts on Jan. 6. Some tweaks to the programme include the addition of two new races: the $150,000 Thunder Snow Challenge over 2000 metres on dirt and the $150,000 Ipi Tombe...