Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday attended the 15th Dubai World Cup, hosted at Dubai’s Meydan racecourse, the biggest horserace course in the world.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, also attended the event. A group of shaikhs, ministers, senior officials, dignitaries and more than 63,000 fans witnessed the prestigious Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest race, which was held at the newly opened racecourse.
Dubai World Cup marks an end to the Dubai International Racing Carnival which began on January 28. The world’s richest race-day featured three of the most valuable races on the planet: the Dubai Sheema Classic sponsored by Guangsha Group, the Dubai Duty Free sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, and of course, the Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates airlines. Also on the card were Dubai Golden Shaheen, sponsored by Gulf News, the UAE Derby and the Godolphin Mile.
The pinnacle of Dubai’s racing calendar, the Dubai World Cup is the richest race meet in the world with a total purse of $26.25 million on offer for an eight-race card, of which $10 million was up for grabs for the Dubai World Cup alone. The new Meydan Grandstand and racecourse set new standards in luxury and propelled UAE’s horseracing scene to greater heights on the global arena. Equipped with first-class hospitality offerings and state-of-the-art racing facilities, the Meydan racecourse is unlike any other in the world. Its most outstanding feature is the Grandstand, an architectural feat featuring a crescent-shaped roof clad with solar panels. The Grandstand spans 1.5km and can accommodate up to 60,000 guests.
