Dubai: The $1million Al Quoz Sprint, one of the highlights of the glittering Dubai World Cup programme, will return to its original distance of 1,200 metres in 2017.
First run in 2007 as part of the Dubai International Racing Carnival at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, the race was shortened to 1,000 metres a year after being added to the World Cup meeting, following the move to Meydan Racecourse.
Given the change of distance, 2017’sDubai World Cup program of nine races will now feature twin six furlong sprints, over turf and dirt, giving connections more options.
The Al Quoz Sprint also represents the culmination of a newly-implemented 1200m turf division featuring five key Carnival handicaps and including the new $200,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday.
Trainers opting for the 1000m turf dash still have the option of three handicap races before the running of the Group 3 $175,000 Meydan Sprint on February 16.
The 1200m turf campaign now runs alongside the dirt programme over the same trip, with those favouring the dirt series benefiting from five build-up races including the Group 3 $200,000 Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday before the Group 1 $2m Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup day.
Announcing the significant change Meydan Group also revealed that the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which gets underway on January 5, 2017 and features 10 meetings before Dubai World Cup day, has received a prize money boost.
The Carnival now boasts a staggering total purse of $10,925,000 for 61 thoroughbred and four Group Purebred Arabian races held outside Dubai World Cup meeting.
The minimum purse offered for a Carnival race now rises to $100,000 following the $467,500 increase over the ten meetings up to and including Super Saturday.
In other noteworthy changes, the Curlin Handicap, a 2000m dirt race used as prep for the 2016 Dubai World Cup by this year’s winner, California Chrome, has now been upgraded to a Listed contest.
Among the stayers’ divisions, the 2810m turf handicap, previously held in the first week of February, has been brought forward to the second Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting in January and a new 3200m handicap inserted into the programme in its stead, giving trainers the option of prepping for the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup held over the same trip on Dubai World Cup day or targeting the 2810m Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy on Thursday February 23.
Malih Lahej Al Basti, Vice Chairman, Meydan Group said: “The Dubai World Cup Carnival and Dubai World Cup are tried and tested in the racing world and continue to attract the best. Yet we do not rest on our laurels and always seek ways to further enhance our offering. We focused on specific areas of the Carnival programme this year, namely the sprint and stayers’ divisions and we hope this will appeal to trainers and owners.”
“As an added incentive we have also increased prize money across the whole Dubai World Cup Carnival programme and we look forward to the fabulous spectacle of the planet’s best horses competing for some of the highest prize money in the business on Meydan’s world stage.”
Dubai World Cup Carnival stable applications close this season on Friday, November 11, 2016. The Meydan stables open to international horses on Thursday, December 15, 2016 in readiness for the first Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting four weeks later. The Meydan-developed Dubai World Cup Carnival online horse nominations process launched in 2016 will be continued into the 2017 season.
