- A guide to the Dubai World Cup
- Blog: Dubai World Cup behind the scenes
- In pictures: Dubai World Cup 2011
- In pictures: Racing fans descend on Meydan
- In Focus: Dubai World Cup 2011
The Yoshimi Ichikawa-owned Victoire Pisa, trained in Japan by Katsuhiko Sumii, won the $10 million Dubai World Cup at the spectacular Meydan racetrack on Saturday night, with Italian Mirco Demuro in the saddle.
Although the Henry Cecil trained Twice Over was tipped as the favourite, he needed to overcome a worse draw than last year to land the odds in the world’s richest horse race, with a purse string of $10 million. Apart from being the most prestigious of four Group One races on the day, the race concludes the 11-week long Dubai Racing Carnival.
It is believed that a record crowd of 81,164 people attended the spectacular races at Meydan on Saturday night, a number unprecedented in the 16-year history of the Dubai World Cup.
Rewilding wins Dubai Sheema Classic
The Lanfranco Dettori-ridden Rewilding raced to victory at the Dubai Sheema Classic at Dubai’s Meydan racecourse on Saturday for a $5 million purse string.
Before Saturday’s race, 11 different trainers had won the previous 11 editions of the Dubai Sheema Classic, with the Dh18.36 million turf contest over 12 furlongs wearing an open look for a cracker of a race.
Dubai Duty Free: Presvis
Jockey Ryan Moore rode Presvis to victory at the Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) race meeting at the Meydan racecourse under the floodlights Saturday night, producing a remarkable powerplay to win the $5 million prize.
The Dubai Duty Free race has traditionally rivalled the Dubai World Cup (Group 1) in terms of star-appeal and once more it assembled a breathtaking cast of turf specialists who competed for the staggering purse.
Dubai Golden Shaheen: Rocket Man
Felix Coetzee-ridden Rocket Man won the Gulf News-sponsored Dubai Golden Shaheen at the Meydan racecourse on Saturday. The race carries a prize money of $2 million.
Beaten last year by Kinsale King - which withdrew earlier in the evening due to an allergic reaction - Rocket Man, owned by Alfredo Leonardo Arnaldo Crabbia, was seeking revenge while Euroears from two-time Dubai World Cup winning trainer Bob Baffert and Hong Kong's Dynamic Blitz comprised a strong challenge to the defending champion.
Khawlah wins UAE Derby
Godolphin's Khawlah, trained by Saeed Bin Surour and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, won the $2 million UAE Derby in the closest race meeting of the night at the Meydan racecourse.
Master of Hounds, ridden by Ryan Moore, came in a close second after the final result was announced following a judge review. The Mike de Kock-trained Mahbooba finished third.
Godolphin Mile: Skysurfers
The Saeed Bin Surour-trained and Frankie Dettori-ridden Skysufers won the $1 million Godolphin Mile at the Meydan racecourse on Saturday.
Before the race, Bin Surour said he relied on the fact that Skysurfers runs well fresh and was hoping for a big run while his fellow Godolphin trainer bid to make it two in a row after winning the Mile last year with Calming Influence under Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Mufarrh came in second at the race meeting.
Al Quoz Sprint: JJ The Jet Plane
Even before the race meeting, sponsored by Emirates NBD and the newest addition to the Dubai World Cup card, JJ The Jet Plane was the red-hot favourite. It also won the same race in 2009 when it was run over 1,200 metres on dirt at Nad Al Sheba racecourse.
South Africa's star sprinter JJ The Jet Plane, well beaten on his all-weather debut in mid-February, bounced back to form when running out a compelling winner over his final prep over six furlongs on Meydan's turf track. The Michael Houdalakis-trained robust seven-year-old with a fluent running style, has already attracted attention for his stunning acceleration at the end of races.
Dubai Kahayla Classic: Seraphin Du Paon
Seraphin Du Paon, owned by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, won the Dubai Kahyala Classic for Purebred Arabians at the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday.
The Philippe Barbe-trained Seraphin Du Paon earlier won the Dh1 million President's Cup on Abu Dhabi turf and showed great acceleration in his three previous runs in Abu Dhabi. At Meydan, he was ridden by Olivier Peslier.