For the past 23 years on the last Saturday of March, every horse racing enthusiast in the world has stopped to catch his breath and exult in the ultimate horse race — the Dubai World Cup.
That moment, that very special moment is here again. At 8.50pm this Saturday, Dubai’s iconic Meydan Racecourse will explode to the sound of thundering hooves as an elite group of thoroughbred horses from far and wide battle for the lion’s share of a staggering $10 million (Dh36.7 million)purse, and a coveted place in racing folklore.
The roll call of winners includes great champions like Cigar, Silver Charm, Dubai Millennium, Animal Kingdom, California Chrome and Arrogate. And there will doubtless be more famous names added to the list in the years to come.
Those in attendance at Meydan look stunning and in sync with the atmosphere, a happy melange of people including racing enthusiasts and the UAE’s crème de la crème, cheering on their favourite horses.
They are all here to celebrate sporting exuberance, and to watch history being made, as are the millions around the world tuning into live streams of the races on their televisions, laptops, iPads and smartphones.
For many the Dubai World Cup is the high point of their sporting and social year — it’s bigger than anything. But what makes the Dubai World Cup, where everything is flawless and wonderfully perfect, such a spectacle?
There are many reasons why
For one, it has rightfully claimed its niche among the greatest horse races in the world — the Epsom Derby, Melbourne Cup, Prix de l’Arc de’Triomphe, the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup Classic — these are the names that pop into your head.
But, more interestingly, the Dubai World Cup does not have to compete with the other great races. That’s because it has created its own appeal, by attracting only the world’s best to battle in the desert.
Horses from the Americas, Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK have all travelled thousands of miles in search of Meydan glory, something that necessarily does not happen at some of the other famous flat races.
When it was introduced to the world in 1996, as a realisation of the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai World Cup immediately raised the bar, a bar that the event has mnaged to raise higher still with the passage of each year.
You don’t need any convincing that the Dubai World Cup is special for you know it is. The feeling of exhilaration it triggered inside you the first time you watched the race unfold at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the 90s has stayed with you since.
The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780, the Arc is by far Europe’s most prestigious and richest turf race, the Kentucky Derby a US Classic that is often referred to as the most exciting two minutes in sports. However, the Dubai World Cup, in its relatively short spell, has come to be loved by owners, trainers, jockeys and racing enthusiasts. It has become a part of so many people as has it become a part of racing folklore.
And there’s that prize purse
Last, but most certainly not the least, there is the massive prize money on offer at the Dubai World Cup meeting.
With $30 million spread over nine Group races, it is by far the richest race meeting anywhere on the planet. It’s no wonder then that every owner, trainer and jockey wants a share of the prize.
Apart from the cash riches, the superlative quality of each of the races and the large audiences they command, there is so much more about the event that makes it a standout. From the sheer Arab adventure that it provides with its world-renowned Middle Eastern hospitality and cuisine to Arabian royalty that descends on Meydan, the Dubai World Cup is one of a kind.
But it finally boils down to the magnificent thoroughbred horses that are at the centre of the action. And the applause from the crowds that spirit these champions of the track to thrilling wins, helping raise a cheer to the eternal romance of the rider and his steed.
