Worldwide campaign for DWC entries

An intensive promotional campaign will be conducted over the next fortnight to ensure the first entries for the 2002 Dubai World Cup retain the standard of excellence of previous years.

The first entry stage for the US$15.25 million Dubai World Cup meeting closes on November 14 and representatives of the event will be present on opposite sides of the world attempting to entice the very best to Dubai for the event, to be held on March 23, 2002.

"We have been extremely fortunate to have enjoyed excellent entries in the past for the Dubai World Cup and the strength of those entries has continued through to the day itself," said the Chairman of the Dubai World Cup Committee, Les Benton.

"In the last two years we have created new records and set the mark for other international events with the number of overseas runners competing at one race meeting."

"The Dubai World Cup has established itself as the world's premier international race meeting and all involved with the event are dedicated to ensure it retains that position."

"We will be strongly represented at the Breeders' Cup in New York and the Melbourne Cup carnival and will be doing everything to ensure the Dubai World Cup meeting retains its position on the international calendar."

"We are confident of achieving a high standard of competition at the event next March, especially with the upgrading of the majority of races."

The Dubai World Cup meeting is expected to continue its outstanding reputation as a programme of international quality, recent promotions to the majority of the races on the card suggesting that the 71 overseas runners in 2001 may well be bettered.

The Group I Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates and the first leg of the 2002 World Series Racing Championship, was joined at racing's highest levelwhen the International Cataloguing Standards Committee promoted the US$2million Dubai Duty Free, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, and Dubai Sheema.

Classic, sponsored by the Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Ports Authority, from Group II to Group I and the Dubai Golden Shaheen, sponsored by Gulf News, went from Group III to Group I.

The Godolphin Mile, sponsored by the Jebel Ali Hotel and Golf Resort, and the UAE Derby were also promoted to Group II after their 2001 status of Group III.