Dubai World Cup

Thursday 24 July 2008 (UAE)

www.dubaifaqs.com

Dubai World Cup - The World's Richest Horse Race


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The Dubai World Cup is one of those big p...., er, social events that everyone marks on their calendar as a night of importance, and the next morning, wonders what happened. The event consists of a great deal of jolly gallavanting and cavorting about an area called the International Village, near the Nad Al Sheba horse racing course. There are also some horses that run around in circles and win a few dirhams for their owners, but no one pays any attention to that. Think of a more civilised version of the Dubai Rugby 7s with posh clothes and hats, and you'll get the idea. Unfortunately, the mud and rain still accompanies the Dubai World Cup more frequently than it should but everyone still has good fun.

Horse racing and betting go together like fish and chips, and for those punters living outside the UAE, your fish won't be chipless, so to speak. However, as gambling is forbidden in the UAE, punters drink more instead. Bad luck if you think you're going to bet online - the TRA (Telecom Regulatory Authority) restricts access to gambling websites. Nonetheless, the local newspapers will still tell you the odds from overseas betting agencies.

13th Dubai World Cup 2008

Date announced as Saturday 29 March 2008, hosted by

Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club
Dubai Racing Club
Jebel Ali Racecourse
Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club

As it turned out, the 2008 Dubai World Cup was memorable for many people in a less than splendid way. The good news was no rain, but that meant the crowds waiting to enter (for several hours due to a shortage of metal detectors) ended up fried rather than drenched. Residents wait with muted enthusiasm for the 2009 Dubai World Cup. There are rumours of some residents who have set up camp for the next 12 months at the venue so they'll be first in line in 2009, or they're just the sensible people who left their cars at home ... still waiting for a taxi to take them home.

In an excellent example of consistency, the free bus service that ferried punters between car parks and stadium entrances was reported to be a complete shambles. Is there any event in Dubai where the organisers have successfully arranged transportation? The CEO of the Dubai Racing Club, Frank Gabriel Jnr, did say sorry apparently, which probably didn't make people feel a whole lot better.

Our suggestion for the 2009 Dubai World Cup is to book a helicopter and buy VIP tickets with at least a dozen Vs. Or watch it on TV at the pub.

Godolphin Seven Stars

Godolphin (Sheikh Mohammed's racing stable) offer the Godolphin Seven Stars competition. You bet ... ah ... guess which 7 Godolphin horses will perform the best during the March to December horse racing season. The winner for 2006 got US$100,000, a first class flight to Dubai to watch the 2007 Dubai World Cup, and a week in the Burj Al Arab hotel. The winner for 2007 will get a bit less: $50,000, 5 nights at a "luxury hotel" in Dubai, and first class flights. Entries closed for the 2007 season but watch out in March 2008 for the next competition.

Dubai World Cup Style Stakes

Residents of Dubai get togged up in their poshest kit to go to the Dubai World Cup, and can then enter the Dubai World Cup Style Stakes, a fashion competition with prizes for the Best Hat, the Best Dressed Lady, the Best Dressed Couple, and the Least Badly Dressed Bloke.

Hospitality (2007 DWC information)

International Village (see below)
Breakfast with the Stars - 100 dhs for breakfast with celebrities, from 0700-1000
Maktoum Terrace - 500 dhs for afternoon tea, canapes, non-alcoholic drinks, access to International Village, and a seat in the Maktoum Grandstand.
Millenium Terrace - 800 dhs for a carpark, some drinks, afternoon tea, dinner, and a grandstand seat on the 2nd floor of the Millenium Grandstand.
Rails Restaurant - 1000 dhs for carpark, dinner, drinks, and access to International Village.
Al Dana Hospitality - 1350 dhs for carpark, dinner buffet, drinks, International Village access, and a glass of champagne.
Millenium Terrace - 1850 dhs for a carpark, drinks, afternoon tea, 7 course dinner, International Village access, a flower and a gift. Restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the Millenium Grandstand.
Oasis Village - 35,000 dhs gets you food and drink for 30 people in your own marquee with a wee picket fence and garden.
Dubai Racing Club (for package enquiries) tel +971-4-3322277, or +971-4-3270077, or email hospitality@dubaiworldcup.com

International Village (2007 DWC information)

The International Village is a throbbing den of inequity and our advice is to avoid it entirely. Bring a thermos with tea and some cucumber sandwiches, then go and sit in a paddock somewhere with your binoculars and watch the horses. If you really feel you must visit the International Village, then expect a wild night and a hangover ...

Food and beverage (UAEnglish for beer, wine, plonk, booze, etc) outlets include tents and deckchairs set up by:
- The Irish Village (always packed and buzzing - obviously full of people ignoring advice from DubaiFAQs.com)
- Wagamama (good noodles)
- Yo! Sushi (fresh fish)
- The Gourmet Burger Kitchen (eat one before you drink too much, to enjoy it properly)
- Barasti (almost as good as the real thing)
- Bubble Lounge (snap crackle pop ...)
- The Wine Room
- Plenty more of your favorite entertainment haunts in Dubai
Ahlan! Glamour Studio - get your photos and if you're lucky, you'll be posing in Ahlan! magazine (a UAE magazine for the upwardly mobile)
NStyle Nail Lounge - not a hardware store
Franck Provost - hair styling, not that it matters after a session in the Irish Village
The Style Arena
Tickets for entry to the International Village were 175 dhs in 2007

Dubai World Cup races (as of 2007 DWC)

Dubai World Cup - sponsored by Emirates Airlines
Dubai Duty Free - sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, prize money $5 million
Dubai Sheema Classic - sponsored by Nakheel, prize money $5 million
Dubai Golden Shaheen - sponsored by Gulf News, prize money $2 million
UAE Derby - sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, prize money $2 million
Godolphin Mile - sponsored by Etisalat, prize money $1 million
Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians - sponsored by Emaar, prize money $250,000

12th Dubai World Cup 2007

Held on Saturday 31 March 2007
$21.25 million (AED 78 million) total prize money, $6 million (AED 22m) for the top prize.
Winner was Invasor from America, ridden by Fernando Jara.
Second place was Premium Tap, another American horse.
Third place was Bullish Luck from Hong Kong.
Discreet Cat, ridden by Frankie Dettori (L Dettori for Lanfranco Dettori), was expected to do well but lucked out in this race. Dettori rode Electrocutionist to victory in the 2006 Dubai World Cup, and also won the 2006 UAE Derby on Discreet Cat - the same race in which Invasor came fourth in 2006.
Corporate and hospitality dining packages sold out.
International Village tickets 175 dhs, available from DWC website.

Dubai World Cup winners

Note that the winning time of 2:00:15 for 2008 is under investigation by the Emirates Racing Association due to a possible timing discrepancy.

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2008	Curlin	4	Robby Albarado	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet / Midnight Cry	2:00:15
2007	Invasor	5	Fernando Jara	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Stable	1:59:97
2006	Electrocutionist	5	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	2:01.32
2005	Roses in May	5	John Velazquez	Dale L Romans	K & S Ramsey	2:02.17
2004	Pleasantly Perfect	6	Alex Solis	Richard Mandella	Diamond A Racing Corp	2:00.24
2003	Moon Ballad	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	2:00.48
2002	Street Cry	4	Jerry Bailey	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	2:01.18
2001	Captain Steve	4	Jerry Bailey	Bob Baffert	Michael E Pegram	2:00.40
2000	Dubai Millennium	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	1:59.50
1999	Almutawakel	4	Richard Hills	Saeed bin Suroor	Hamdan Al Maktoum	2:00.65
1998	Silver Charm	4	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Bob & Beverly Lewis	2:04.29
1997	Singspiel	5	Jerry Bailey	Michael Stoute	Sheikh Mohammed	2:01.91
1996	Cigar	6	Jerry Bailey	William I Mott	Allen E Paulson	2:03.84

Dubai World Cup background

The Dubai World Cup is an annual Thoroughbred horse race held at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai initiated the first Dubai World Cup in 1996. Prize money was upped to $6 million in 2004.

Dubai World Cup distance is 2,000 meters (10 furlongs)
Track is dirt, left-handed
Age: northern hemisphere 4+ year-olds, southern hemisphere 3+ year-olds
Weight: SH 3yo 54.5kg, NH & SH 4yo+ 57kg

The Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) is the governing body for all horse racing in the UAE. Chairman of the ERA is HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Presidential Affairs.