Dubai: The feature event of Saturday evening’s Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting at Meydan Racecourse is the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2,810m.
This a stayers’ race, which is often used as a prep for the 3200m Dubai Gold Cup on Dubai World Cup day.
The event, which was first run in 2011, carries a purse of $200,000 in prize money. Last season Godolphin’s Ahzeemah won the event en route to taking second place in the Dubai Gold Cup.
The Gold Cup was won by stable companion Cavalryman, who makes his seasonal debut in Saturday’s turf contest, together with Statutory and the Charlie Appleby-trained Buckwheat.
Cavalryman (Saeed Bin Surour/Silvestre de Sousa) makes his seasonal return in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy Sponsored By District One at Meydan, Dubai.
Buckwheat (Charlie Appleby/Mickael Barzalona) and Statutory (Bin Surour/William Buick) also line up in the 14-furlong turf contest.
There are five other races on the card, which is worth more than $1 million in prize money.
Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Meydan, said: “Our development in partnership with Sobha Group, District One, located in Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City has a strong connection to the racing world both in terms of the development’s close proximity to Meydan Racecourse and through the inclusion of equestrian facilities, which include a prime equestrian club and exclusive horse-riding trails among the world-leading Crystal Lagoon.”
Meanwhile, Pillar Partner, developer Meydan Sobha, is back at Meydan Racecourse for the second time this season to lend its support to the card.
Sobha’s PNC Menon said: “Given our strategic partnership with Meydan in launching Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City — District One, we are pleased to announce our collaboration with the Dubai World Cup Carnival and the Dubai World Cup held at the Meydan Racecourse. The prestigious event is the perfect platform for us to introduce our latest project to affluent individuals from around the world and we are proud to join the impressive list of Pillar Partners.”
Malih Al Basti, Meydan Board Member and Chairman of the Meydan Racing Committee said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Meydan Sobha back to Meydan Racecourse for the second time this season for another high-class evening of horse racing and we look forward to having them back for the Dubai World Cup.”
An equally split joint venture, Meydan Sobha is responsible for developing more than 47 million square feet of prime freehold land in the heart of Dubai. The first landmark project within Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City is the aptly named District One.
