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Saturday 07 November 2009 (UAE)
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Dubai World Cup - The World's Richest Horse Race
Winner of the Dubai World Cup for 2009 was Well Armed, storming to a 14 length lead in a time of 2:01:01, ridden by Aaron Gryder.
The Dubai World Cup is one of those big p...., er, social events in Dubai 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 much 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.
The DWC is hosted by several horse racing clubs in the UAE - the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Dubai Racing Club, Jebel Ali Racecourse, and the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club. The first year of the Dubai World Cup was 1996, held at Nad Al Sheba racetrack. From 2010, the DWC will be held at the new Meydan Racecourse, under construction from 2008-2009 (and hopefully finished before the 2010 DWC starts).
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.
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 didn't fare quite so well: $50,000, 5 nights at a "luxury hotel" in Dubai, and first class flights. Competition starts in March of each year.
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.
Dubai World Cup races (2007 DWC, 2008 DWC, 2009 DWC)
- Dubai World Cup - sponsored by Emirates Airlines, prize money $6 million (possibly up to $10 million for 2010)
- 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
- $21.25 million (AED 78 million) total prize money, $6 million (AED 22m) for the DWC with $3.6m for the winner.
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. 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.
- 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
Dubai World Cup winners
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Well Armed | 6 | Aaron Gryder | Eoin Harty | WinStar Farm | 2:01.01 |
| 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 |
14th Dubai World Cup 2009 - Saturday 28 March 2009
Dubai World Cup 2009 - forum topic with information about dates, prices, horses, etc. At Nad Al Sheba for the last time, moves to Meydan for 2010.
13th Dubai World Cup 2008 - Saturday 29 March 2008
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.
12th Dubai World Cup 2007 - Saturday 31 March 2007
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), lucked out this time. Dettori won the 2006 DWC on Electrocutionist, and also won the 2006 UAE Derby on Discreet Cat - Invasor came 4th in that race. Corporate and hospitality dining packages were sold out.
This information last updated Sunday 29-Mar-2009
Related pages - Internal Links
- Dubai - FAQ home and index
- Dubai World Cup 2009 - forum topic
- Dubai World Cup 2008 - discussion and news, and winner's timing discrepancy comment (or "no comment")
- Dubai World Cup 2007 - forum topic with list of International Village venues
- Rugby Sevens Dubai - more fun in the sun (or mud occasionally)
- Contact us if you ... Have seen an error? Can't find something? Have a suggestion?
Related websites - External Links (open in new window)
- www.dubaiworldcup.com - official website for the Dubai World Cup
- www.emiratesracing.com - official site of the Emirates Racing Authority (not Association)
- www.godolphin.ae - Godolphin Stables website and Godolphin Seven Stars competition
- Dubai directory - add your link free