Nine glittering trophies at stake

Dubai: It's the dream of every owner across the globe to lay their hands on one of the nine prestigious trophies available on Dubai World Cup night.

Each year since 1996, owners and syndicates have vied first simply to get an entry and then to win a chunk of the $27.25 million (Dh100 million) on offer on this grand night of horse racing.

Over the years some of the most famous names in racing history have had their names inscribed on one of the nine impressive trophies on offer.

With each year gone by since the event began, the prize money has improved and the field of runners has read like a who's who of the racing world.

Names on the base

Horses such as Dubai Millennium, Cigar and Singspiel have their names on the base of the prestigious Dubai World Cup, which currently hold a prize purse of $10 million.

While it takes a true champion to win the Dubai World Cup, the other smaller races on the evening act as delightful appetisers to the grand finale.

Each of the trophies has a tale to tell and each makes owners, connections, jockeys and friends gush with pride if they are able to hold aloft one of these fine works of art by grabbing a winner on one of the biggest nights in racing.

Mirror on the Arab world

"While the Dubai World Cup is a magnificent piece of work, it exemplifies the atmosphere of the World Cup night," says Frank Gabriel Jr, CEO of the Dubai Racing Club.

"Each of these trophies has a story and they are all connected as far as the design and significance goes.

"While the Dubai World Cup is a distinguished piece of work, having a classic and wonderful appearance, it is the golden whip that is presented to the owner and the jockey symbolises something more ethereal.

"All the trophies have a class of their own and they do their job to perfection: provide a mirror of the Arab world's renowned hospitality and charm."

Kahayla Classic

The Dubai Kahayla Classic is a Group One gallop for Purebred Arabians who are over five years old. It is run over 2,000 metres on a dirt track. Though the winners have been many, it has been horses like Alanudd and Madjani who have set their name in gold by winning this race on three occasions each. The American raider Alanudd, trained by L.Y. Carter Jr went on to win in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid-owned and Gillian Duffield-trained Madjani took the honours in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Dubai World Cup

Designed in-house and manufactured by Garrard, the Crown Jewellers in 1996, the perpetual trophy was produced for the inaugural Dubai World Cup horse race in sterling silver gilt. An integral design feature is the race-horse heads featured on both the handles of the trophies and the whips. Palm trees were hand chased onto the trophies as a key design theme. Diamond-set whips are given to the winning jockey and trainer, and a reduced sized replica is presented to the winning owner.

Dubai Sheema Classic

The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group One flat horse race open to thoroughbreds that are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres on turf. The race was first run in 1998 and it was initially titled the Dubai Turf Classic. It came to be known as the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2000 and then two years later achieved Group One status, offering a purse of $5 million (Dh18.4 million). A record time of 2:29.01 was set by Rewilding in 2011.

Godolphin Mile

The Godolphin Mile is a Group Two flat race held over 1,600 metres for three-year-old thoroughbreds from the southern hemisphere and four-year-olds from the northern hemisphere. Inaugurated in 1994 as the Nad Al Sheba Mile, this race offers a prize purse of $1 million (Dh3.67 million) with Calming Influence setting the best time of 1:36.82 over the distance in 2010.

UAE Derby

The UAE Derby is a Group Two flat race with a prize purse of $2 million (Dh7.35 million) for three-year-old thoroughbreds held over a distance of 1,800 metres on the Tapeta surface. The race was first run in 2000 and attained Group Two status two years later in 2002, the same year the race distance was increased to 2,000 metres before reverting back to 1,800 metres in 2004. It was moved to its current distance of 1,900 metres in 2010. Express Tour holds the record time of 1:47.04 over the former distance of 1,800 metres and Godolphin has been the most successful operation winning this race a record seven times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011).

Dubai Duty Free

The Dubai Duty Free is also a Group One flat horse race for thoroughbreds four-year-old and above, run on turf over a distance of 1,800 metres. It was first run in 1996 on dirt over a distance of 2,000 metres. The race was transferred to turf and its current distance of 1,800 metres in 2000. The race attained its Group One status in 2002 and its name is taken from sponsors Dubai Duty Free. The race offers a prize purse of $5 million (Dh18.4 million) and Al Shemali set the new record of 1:50.21 over the distance last year.

Al Quoz Sprint

The Al Quoz Sprint is for thoroughbred horses that was raised to Group Three status in 2009 and moved to Dubai World Cup night the following year. The record time in this race, run over its current distance of 1,000 metres, is 59.40 seconds held by JJ The Jet Plane, who has won the race twice (2009 and 2011).

Dubai Golden Shaheen

The Dubai Golden Shaheen is a Group One flat horse race for thoroughbreds that are three-years-old and above. The race is run over a distance of 1,200 metres on dirt. The race was first run in December 1993 as the Nad Al Sheba Sprint and its place in the calendar was moved in 1996 to be included in the Dubai World Cup night. The race, that currently offers a purse of $2 million (Dh7.35 million), took its present name in 2000 and attained Group One status in 2002. The record time for the race stands at 1:10.85 set in 2000 by Kinsale King.

Dubai Gold Cup

This is a brand-new race being held for the first time-ever at Meydan, this year.