Meydan Racecourse

Friday marks the first edition of the Festive Friday card at Meydan, featuring two group races, three listed races and AED4.5 million in prize-money across the nine-race stand. Returning to the scene of his 2023 G2 Godolphin Mile victory is Isolate (Mark Valeski), who will step out in the AED1-million G2 Al Maktoum Mile for trainer Doug Watson. Tyler Gaffalione will fly in for the race from the States. "That was a great day and he's moving better this year than he did last year," said trainer Doug Watson, who...

Stabling for runners in the International Quarantine Stables traveling from overseas for the upcoming season of the Dubai Racing Carnival will be free, the Dubai Racing Club announced on Tuesday. The season kicks off on Friday, Nov. 10, with the first of 14 meetings at Meydan Racecourse. Further incentives, including travel, will be decided by a special committee on a horse-by-horse basis. Stable staff staying in the quarantine facilities can do so for a fee of AED1000 per month (US$272). These incentives are in addition to the new Dubai World...

The Dubai Racing Club (DRC) on Sunday announced a new structure for the 2023-24 racing season at Meydan, renaming the entire event from December through March as the Dubai Racing Carnival and boosting purses by AED11 million, a 27% increase over last season. The season will offer three feature race nights starting in December (AED4.7 million), then January (AED10 million), and Super Saturday in March (AED 10million), which brings the total purses for the three meetings to AED24.7 million. The minimum purse for non-stakes races is AED165,000, which is back...

Japan entered five colts in the $1-million G2 UAE Derby Sponsored by Atlantis The Royal, and they filled the first four home, as Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) punched his ticket for the GI Kentucky Derby in May in the colours of Hiroyuki Asanuma for trainer Hidetaka Otonashi. The race was worth 100 points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. The 1 3/16-mile affair featured the handsome Irish raider Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road), who garnered favouritism before the off, but it was the winner,...

Under a cagey Dane O'Neill ride, Danyah (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) stunned a field loaded with quality sprinters to take the $1.5-million G1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by AZIZI Developments for Shadwell and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. One of 16 entered in the 1200-metre turf feature, the 6-year-old gelding laid off the leaders as Miqyaas (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) set the pace while shadowed by Group 3 winner The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}). At the halfway point, it appeared that half of the field was in with a shot as...

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...

Forty broadcasters from all corners of the globe will provide live coverage of Saturday's $30.5-million G1 Dubai World Cup from Meydan Racecourse. In all, nine races will be contested, headlined by the $12-million Dubai World Cup, Sponsored by Emirates Airline. Dubai Racing Club's Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and RMG's agency HBA Media, have secured some of the biggest names in sports broadcasting to televise and live stream the day's events, include Fox Sports in the U.S., ESPN/Star+ in South America, SuperSport in Africa, Viaplay in Europe, Dubai Media and BeIN...

They used to say that all roads lead to Rome. Now they all seem to lead to Louisville, whether you're starting from the desert or up the road in Florence, Kentucky. Some of us, even so, still miss the forgotten turnpike long favored by horsemen of the old school. In fact, there are times when I fear that we might actually have found ourselves on the road that is notoriously paved with good intentions. Saturday opens the third cycle of rehearsals offering starting points for the GI Kentucky Derby. The...

A total of 73 juveniles by some of the pre-eminent dirt sires from America complemented by a collection of top European turf stallions are set to go under the hammer during the second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale to be held Tuesday evening in the sprawling parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. "It's just a huge honour and privilege to be appointed as auctioneer now for the second year by the Dubai Racing Club and the chairman, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, and it's a great feather in...

WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing's defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Country Grammer (Tonalist) tops a dozen North American entries for the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse Saturday, Mar. 25. The prospective fields were revealed overnight by the Dubai Racing Club. The 6-year-old is one of 13 in the field for the $12-million centerpiece of the meeting, including no fewer than eight runners from Japan topped by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who registered a half-length defeat of Country Grammer in the G1 Saudi Cup last...

Dubai's Super Saturday meeting at Meydan Racecourse saw World Pool's globally commingled turnover increase over 2022's figure by HK$18.9m (approx. $2.4m) to HK$224,802,517 (approx. $28.6m) across the eight races. The Ras Al Khor conditions race, which was won by Godolphin's Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}], saw the highest jump to HK$33,518,763 (approx. $4.3m) in total monies bet on the contest. Both Group 1 races on the card saw figures surpassing HK$30m, with the G1 Jebel Hatta raking in HK$33,366,784 (approx. $4.3m) and the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 drawing HK$31,560,463...

by Alan Carasso, Emma Berry, Brian Sheerin & Heather Anderson Runner-up to Cartier Horse of the Year Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in last year's G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Queen Anne S., Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) makes his first trip to the races in nearly nine months verus 14 rivals--including four others from Godolphin--in Saturday's G1 Jebel Hatta S. at Meydan Racecourse. The race, part of Super Saturday which is a World Pool event, is the final lead-up test prior to the G1 Dubai Turf in...