Friday evening at Meydan will not simply mark another date on the racing calendar. As the sun dips behind the grandstand and the lights rise across the track, Dubai Racing Club will roll out a premium eight-race programme on January 30, one that blends elite class, rising talent and serious prize money into a powerful night of international Thoroughbred racing. Running from 5:30pm to 9:35pm, the fixture is built to build momentum, climaxing in top-tier contests that underline Meydan’s global standing.
The card is rich with quality, featuring multiple premium races, highlighted by Listed and Group 3 company, and anchored by the prestigious Dubai Millennium Stakes. With strong fields, elite stables and graded performers in action, the evening will offer both sporting theatre and long-term significance as horses step forward on the road to bigger international targets.
Proceedings will begin at 5:30pm with the Jumeirah Guineas Trial Sponsored by DP World, a crucial 1600-metre test for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. With 11 runners chasing a substantial AED 500,000, the opener will place early focus on composure and tactical maturity, often revealing future classic contenders at this formative stage of the season.
At 6:05pm, depth and development will take centre stage in the Jafza Logistics Park Maiden, another 1600-metre contest for 3-year-olds. A competitive field of 16 runners will contest the AED 165,000 prize, where raw ability meets race-day pressure and emerging careers begin to take shape.
The tempo will rise at 6:40pm with the Mawj Stakes Sponsored by DP World, a premium race restricted to 3-year-old fillies over 1400 metres. Offering AED 500,000 and attracting 15 runners, this contest is expected to deliver speed, balance and tactical sharpness, as leading fillies test their class against strong opposition.
Middle-distance strength will be tested at 7:15pm in the Jafza Handicap (85–105). Run over 2000 metres, this race will feature 16 runners competing for AED 300,000, demanding stamina, patience and precise timing from both horse and rider.
Pure pace will dominate the spotlight at 7:50pm with the Dubai Sprint Sponsored by DP World, a Listed contest over 1200 metres. With 15 runners and AED 500,000 at stake, this premium sprint promises intensity from the gates, where fractions, positioning and finishing speed will decide the outcome in seconds.
All roads will then lead to the Dubai Millennium Stakes (Group 3) at 8:25pm, the defining feature of the night. Contested over 2000 metres, this elite race will bring together 7 high-class Thoroughbreds competing for the card-topping purse of AED 700,000. With proven quality and international ambitions on display, it will stand as the evening’s ultimate measure of class.
Contenders: By The Book, Arabian Light, Chibitty, Crystal Black, Fort George, Al Madhar, Miss Of Change
The closing stages will maintain competitiveness and depth, starting at 9:00pm with the DP World Logistics Handicap (80–100) over 1600 metres, where 16 runners will vie for AED 250,000. The night will conclude at 9:35pm with the Dubai Auto Market Handicap (70–90), another 1600-metre contest featuring 16 runners and AED 190,000 in prize money.
From promising juveniles to established graded performers, Meydan Racecards 30 January are set to deliver a premium racing experience marked by ambition, quality and international significance, as Dubai Racing Club builds toward an explosive night under the lights.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.