Dubai : Winning a major race is special for any jockey, but to win the first one at the iconic new Meydan racecourse Thursday would have surpassed all expectations for big race jockey Richard Hills.
As thousands of curious race fans held their collective breath, Hills powered No Risk Al Maury to a thrilling three-quarter length victory in the Shadwell Farm-sponsored Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 for Purebred Arabians.
It was a historic and unforgettable moment — the 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival was under way and Meydan, the racecourse that has been the talk of the horseracing world, was unveiled in all its majestic glory.
Few sporting venues can rival Meydan racecourse for sheer scale or grandeur. Its 1.2km long grandstand and iconic crescent shaper roof looked even more breathtaking under the night sky and solar-powered brilliant white lights.
The well-light turf track as far as the eye can see make it, quite simply, one of the greatest sights in the sport. The racecourse is designed to accommodate up to 60,000 spectators and although the number of fans attending yesterday's opening night was way below that mark, there was a perceptible sense of occasion about the whole meeting.
Guests and dignitaries in attendance yesterday included His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, and star England allrounder Andrew Flintoff.
Best racecourse
Saeed Bin Surour, the chief trainer at Shaikh Mohammad's Godolphin Stable in neighbouring Al Quoz, was in awe of Meydan. "The whole world has been watching the Dubai Racing Carnival so we needed a racecourse like Meydan," he said. "The Carnival is one of the best meetings in the world and Meydan is now one of the best racecourses in the world.
"I think everyone will agree that this is special."
Godolphin jockey Frankie Dettori, who is never lost for words, has compared Meydan to a "spaceship from Star Wars." And anyone lucky enough to experience the opening night's racing will know what Dettori was talking about.
"Before it was just a shell but as you drive to the track it's like Old Trafford, the Emirates and Wembley all rolled into one," he told At The Races.
He added: "The sheer size of it is absolutely jaw dropping. The paddock is situated in front of the grandstand and I walked from one side towards the weighing room at night and when they turned the lights on it looked like a spaceship from Star Wars!
"It is so surreal, it is so big it doesn't seem real."
For the record, the 7.5 million square metre Meydan racecourse also includes an 18-hole golf course, a marina, a luxury hotel.
