Dubai: The 2020 Dubai World Cup Carnival, the traditional build-up to the $35 million (Dh128 million) Dubai World Cup, will feature 10 weeks of high quality racing, which will culminate with the Super Saturday card on March 7.
Super Saturday — which saw horses from Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, UK and USA shipped in to win or place in its races in March this year — will feature seven course and distance events.
The historic 25th edition of the Dubai World Cup day will be staged three weeks after the DWC Carnival, on March 28, and is topped by the world’s richest race, the $12 million (Dh44 million) Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (Group 1).
The $350,000 Dubai City of Gold (Group 2) over 2,410m on turf, which has produced Dubai World Cup night winners the past two seasons, will receive a $50,000 increase in purse, which raises Super Saturday to $2.7 million in total prize money.
The 2019 Super Saturday card produced three of the nine Dubai World Cup night winners, including Thunder Snow, who contested the $600,000 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (Group 1).
The $250,000 Singspiel Stakes (Group 2), won the last two seasons by subsequent Group 1 winners, receives an increase in purse and upgrade in status, while six $175,000 turf handicaps have been upgraded to Listed status (base rating of 95) and each complement a natural flow of divisional races within the DWC Carnival.
Dubai Racing Club Classic
The Dubai Racing Club Classic will be contested over 2,410m on opening night, January 2, and will naturally lead into the aforementioned Dubai City of Gold.
On the same evening, the 1,400m Meydan Challenge naturally leads to the $250,000 Al Fahidi Fort (Group 2) — a race that has produced multiple Dubai World Cup night winners—three weeks later.
The 2,000-metre Zabeel Turf on January 16 will feed naturally into the $200,000 Dubai Millennium (Group 3) on February 20, while the 1000m Dubai Dash is a prep for the $250,000 Meydan Sprint (Group 2) on February 20 — a race the world’s current co-top rated sprinter, Blue Point, contested the last two seasons.
Turf sprinters looking for an extra furlong have an option two weeks later on February 6, the Dubai Sprint over 1200m, which preps for Super Saturday’s $350,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (Group 3).
Meydan Cup
Lastly, the Meydan Cup on January 30 over the marathon 2810m distance will be a launching point for stayers looking to contest the $300,000 Nad Al Sheba Trophy (Group 3) on February 27.
Among its 61 Thoroughbred fixtures, the DWC Carnival will host two Group 1s, 10 Group 2s, 10 Group 3s and 10 Listed races along with four Purebred Arabian pattern races made up of three Group 1s and one Group 2.
Twenty-three non-Listed handicaps will start with a 90 rating and prize money ranging from $135,000 to $175,000, while six $100,000 conditioned affairs for sophomores enrich a programme that already includes the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed), $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas (Group 3), $250,000 UAE Oaks (Group 3), $175,000 Meydan Classic (Listed) and $350,000 Al Bastakiya (Listed).
