Dubai World Cup – A Short History
Horse racing in the UAE wasn’t established until 1981 with it taking another 10 years to form the Dubai Racing Club. But, in March 1992, Nad Al Sheba racecourse was opened and hosted the inaugural Dubai International Jockeys’ Challenge 12 months later.
That competition paved the way for the first Dubai World Cup meeting to be held in 1996 and it instantly propelled both Nad Al Sheba and the UAE onto the global stage with American wonder horse Cigar taking the inaugural running of the meeting’s big race.
Thirteen years later, it was at the 14th staging of the World Cup that another American superstar, Well Armed, brought the curtain down at Nad Al Sheba with Meydan polished and ready to start hosting some of the world’s most prolific equine stars.
The world’s largest integrated racing facility, Meydan’s Grandstand has a seating capacity for more than 60,000 alongside a luxurious hotel.
Legendary US trainer Bob Baffert is targeting a fourth Dubai World Cup with WEST COAST and says he is unconcerned by a wide draw in the 1m2f contest on the Dirt track. There can’t be anyone doubting Baffert’s ability or judgement after Arrogate’s thrilling last-to-first victory 12 months ago.
West Coast is short enough in the betting at the general Evens but had a nice pipe-opener at Gulfstream Park in January and one of his big rivals on paper, Thunder Snow, is drawn even wider while another, the French challenger Talismanic, has never raced on Dirt before. North America reversed earlier running with Thunder Snow last time in a Group 1 but will be relying on a fast start to take advantage of the two stall.
Dubai World Cup Current Best Odds
West Coast Evens, Talismanic and North America 8/1, Forever Unbridled 9/1, Gunnevera 10/1, Thunder Snow 14/1, Pavel 16/1, Mubtaahij 22/1, Awardee 66/1, Furia Cruzada 100/1
It’s more than feasible that the Americans could top and tail one of the richest race days in history as ECONOMIC MODEL looks the one to beat in the opening Godolphin Mile, also run on Dirt.
Confidence behind the locally-trained Heavy Metal and Kimbear means that Chad Brown’s five-year-old, back to his best last month after a break, is available at 7/1 with several leading bookmakers.
Though Charlie Appleby trains exclusively for Dubai-based Godolphin he is based in Newmarket and has high hopes for GOLD TOWN in the UAE Derby and BLUE POINT in the Al Quoz Sprint. The former is 6/4 with Boylesports having won both races by wide margins since being switched to Dirt – he probably has Aidan O’Brien’s Mendelsshon to beat. Blue Point is a general 10/11 to win his race over 6f on the Turf course having made an eye-catching reappearance at Meydan last month but the Dubai Gold Cup is shaping up to be one of the best races of the day.
VAZIRABAD will have to reverse recent running with Rare Rhythm to record an historic third successive victory in the 2m Group 2 contest but that shouldn’t be too difficult as the Godolphin runner had the advantage of a recent run when coming out on top over 1m6f earlier this month. The extra quarter-mile will make all the difference for Alain De Royer-Dupre’s star stayer, who also has a much better draw. Boylesports are again best odds at 9/4.
