It was now just over 20 years ago that horse-loving and mega-rich HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had the dream to build a new and exciting race track in the heart of Dubai and attract the world’s best thoroughbreds to race for the Dubai World Cup.
Millions of dollars of prize money provided the carrot for trainers around the globe and with the prize now upped to a whopping $10million, from $6 million, for the main race this year’s event is set to be the best yet. 2010 saw the start of a new era with the entire carnival being run for the first time at the newly built Meydan Racecourse, having previously been staged at Nad Al Sheba.
The new futuristic track has cost an estimated $2billion to build and will easily accommodate a bumper 60,000 crowd. 10,000 car park spaces make things easier for visitors, while the track has been built on 76m Sq feet and includes a 12f turf track and an 8.75 Tapeta (AW) course.
This year’s (2020) race will be run on Saturday 27th March, the final day of the Dubai Racing Carnival that runs from January and consists of around 10 meetings.
Thunder Snow has landed the last two runnings - and in 2019 gave his jockey, Christophe Soumillion his second success in this lucrative race. When winning the 2019 Dubai World Cup this 5 year-old, that is owned by Godolphin, he became the first horse to win the Dubai World Cup more than once. but this 5 year-old is trained by Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Suroor – a trainer that’s taken this top prize a staggering nine times since the race was first run in 1996……….more than any other trainer.
US jockey Jerry Bailey is the most successful pilot in the history of the race, having landed the prize four times, while Frankie Dettori has been in the winners’ enclosure on three occasions. Looking at the winner’s age it’s the 4 year-olds that have fared best, landing 11 of the 24 (46%) runnings – with 18 of the 24 (75%) winners being aged 4 or 5 years-old. We’ve only seen two winners aged older than 6 take the big prize – African Story in 2014 and Prince Bishop, who won the race in 2015 – that last-named horse also became the oldest winner in the race’s history at 8 years-old.
The fastest time to date in the race was recorded by Dubai Millennium back in 2000, after he won in 1:59.50 – but that was obviously recorded when the race was being run at Nad Al Sheba – the fastest time at the newer track – Meydan – is currently held by Thunder Snow (2:01.38) in 2018.
To date, there has only been one GB-trained winner of the race - Sir Michael Stoute – when his Singspiel took the prize in 1997 – and, as of yet, no Irish-trained winner.
With eight wins, Godolphin Racing are the most successful owners to date, while – as mentioned - Saeed Bin Suroor is the current leading trainer in the race with 9 victories.
The main supporting races are the $5 million Dubai Duty Free and the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic – these are the two richest races run on turf, anywhere in the world. The new race to the card is the Group 3 Al Quoz Sprint, worth $1 million. Other races on the card are the Dubai Golden Shaheen and UAE Derby, both worth $2 million, and the $1 million Godolphin Mile, while the meeting gets started with the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians.
Dubai World Cup Trends (Since run at Meydan 2010)
10/10 – Previous Group 1 or 2 winners
10/10 – Had raced in the last 8 weeks
9/10 – Had won over 1m2f before
8/10 – Had raced in the last 4 weeks
8/10 – Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
8/10 – Previous Group 1 winners
7/10 – Didn’t win their last race
7/10 – Officially rated between 119-123
7/10 – Aged 5 or older
7/10 – Had won at the track before
6/10 – Unplaced favourites
5/10 – Returned a double-figure price
4/10 – Came from stalls 5-8 (inclusive)
2/10 – Winning favourite
The average SP in the last 9 runnings is 11/1
Trained Dubai World Cup Winners………..
11/24 – Trained in USA
10/24 – Trained in UAE
1/24 – Trained in GB
1/24 – Trained in Japan
1/24 – Trained in France
Previous Dubai World Cup Winners
2020 - No race (Covid)
2019 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (5): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 4/1
2018 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (4): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 8/1
2017 - Arrogate (USA) (4) : Mike E Smith / Bob Baffert - 1/3 (fav)
2016 – California Chrome (USA) (5) : Victor Espinoza / Art Sherman – 15/8 (jfav)
2015 – Prince Bishop (UAE) (8) : William Buick / Saeed Bin Suroor – 14/1
2014 – African Story (UAE) (7) : Silvestre de Sousa / Saeed Bin Suroor – 12/1
2013 – Animal Kingdom (USA) (5) : Joel Rosario/ Graham Motion – 11/2
2012 – Monterosso (UAE) (5): Mickael Barzalona/M Al Zarooni – 20/1
2011 - Victoire Pisa (JPN (4): Mirco Demuro/Katsuhiko Sumii – 12/1
2010 - Gloria de Campeao (FRA) (6): T. J. Pereira/Pascal Bary – 16/1
2009 - Well Armed (USA) (6): Aaron Gryder/Eoin G. Harty – 10/1
2008 – Curlin (USA) (4): Robby Albarado/Steve Asmussen – 4/11 (fav)
2007 – Invasor (USA) (5): Fernando Jara/K McLaughlin – 5/4 (fav)
2006 – Electrocutionist (UAE) (5): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 5/4 (fav)
2005 - Roses in May (USA) (5): John Velazquez/Dale Romans – 11/8 (fav)
2004 - Pleasantly Perfect (USA) (6): Alex Solis/Richard Mandella – 5/2
2003 - Moon Ballad (UAE) (4): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 11/4
2002 - Street Cry (UAE) (4): Jerry Bailey/Saeed bin Suroor – 9/2
2001 - Captain Steve (USA) (4): Jerry Bailey/Bob Baffert – 7/4 (jfav)
2000 - Dubai Millennium (UAE) (4): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor -
1999 – Almutawakel (UAE) (4): Richard Hills/Saeed bin Suroor -
1998 - Silver Charm (USA) (4): Gary Stevens/Bob Baffert -
1997 – Singspiel (GB) (5): Jerry Bailey/Michael Stoute -
1996 – Cigar (USA) (6): Jerry Bailey/Bill Mott -
