The Dubai World Cup, is going to make a grand entry in the history of prestigious horse-racing events again on April 5th 2025. The race fixtures promise nine races on the Meydan Racecourse with Dubai World Cup Making a highlight, where the best horses with compete amongst the best for a prize of USD 12 Million Dollar. The racecourse is set, the jockey and trainers are sharpening the skills of their horses, the racegoers are preparing themselves to be a part of a big eventful day.
The Dubai World Cup, is one of the most prestigious Group 1 races to be held at 21:30, as the ninth and the last race of the day, on a 2000-meter dirt track. Offering a prize pool of USD 12,000,000, the winner takes home a staggering USD 6,960,000. The second-place finisher will receive USD 2,400,000, and the third-place finisher will earn USD 1,200,000. The track record is held by THUNDER SNOW (IRE), with a time of 2:01.38, set on March 31, 2018. Competing in this elite event are the following horses: FOREVER YOUNG (JPN), ridden by jockey Ryusei Sakai and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, HIT SHOW (USA), with jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Brad Cox, IL MIRACOLO (USA), partnered with jockey John Velazquez and trainer Antonio Sano, IMPERIAL EMPEROR (IRE), guided by jockey Tadhg O’Shea and trainer Bhupat Seemar, KATONAH (USA), with jockey Silvestre De Sousa and trainer Doug O’Neill, MIXTO (USA), ridden by jockey Lanfranco Dettori and trained by Doug O’Neill, RAMJET (JPN), jockeyed by Kosei Miura and trained by Shozo Sasaki, RATTLE N ROLL (USA), partnered with jockey William Buick and trainer Kenneth McPeek, USHBA TESORO (JPN), with jockey Akira Sugawara and trainer Noboru Takagi, WALK OF STARS (GB), ridden by jockey Mickael Barzalona and trained by Bhupat Seemar, and WILSON TESORO (JPN), guided by jockey Yuga Kawada and trainer Noboru Takagi. This thrilling race brings together some of the finest horses in the world, ensuring a highly competitive and exciting spectacle.
The day will begin with the Dubai Kahayla Classic, at 16:35, the race will feature a Group 1 race for five-year-old and older Purebred Arabians on dirt, with a total prize purse of USD 1,000,000. The race covers a distance of 2000 meters with a safety limit of 15 horses. The first-place winner will receive USD 580,000, followed by USD 200,000 for second place, USD 100,000 for third, and additional pay-outs down to eighth place. Notable horses and their respective jockeys and trainers include AF MAQAM, ridden by Tadhg O’Shea and trained by Ernst Oertel; ASFAN AL KHALEDIAH, with jockey Fahad Al Furaydi and trainer Nasser Mutlaq Alkahtani; DJAFAR, ridden by Silvestre De Sousa and trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri; FIRST CLASSS, with Connor Beasley as jockey and Doug Watson as trainer; KANAILLE DE FAUST ridden by jockey Daniel Tudhope and trained by Adil Mouchahi. The line-up also features MUBEED, NAJEEB AL ZAMAN, SUNY DU LOUP, TARIQ, TILAL AL KHALEDIAH, UNLEASHED, VICA GRINE, VIZHIR, RB MALEXIS, and RB MARY LYLAH, each paired with experienced jockeys and trainers.
The second race of the day, Dubai Gold Cup, a Group 2 race for four-year-old and older Thoroughbreds, will take place on turf over a distance of 3200 meters at 17:10. The race has a total prize pool of USD 1,000,000, with the winner earning USD 580,000, followed by USD 200,000 for second place, USD 100,000 for third, and additional pay-outs down to eighth place. The track record for this race is held by BROOME, who set a time of 3:16.83 on March 25, 2023. Among the leading contenders, AL NAYYIR will be ridden by Luke Morris and trained by Tom Clover. CONTINUOUS, will have Dylan McMonagle in the saddle, and trained by Aidan O’Brien. DOUBLE MAJOR, will be ridden by Maxime Guyon who is under the guidance of trainer Christophe Ferland. DUBAI FUTURE, will have Silvestre De Sousa and trained by Saeed bin Suroor,. EPIC POET, will be partnered with Daniel Tudhope trained by David O’Meara. The race will also feature PASSION AND GLORY, STRAIGHT, TRAWLERMAN, TERM OF ENDEARMENT, and TRAFALGAR SQUARE, along with other strong contenders in what promises to be a thrilling endurance test on the turf.
The Godolphin Mile, a Group 2 race, is scheduled for 17:45 and will be contested over 1600 meters on dirt. The race has a total prize fund of USD 1,000,000. The winner will take home USD 580,000, while the track record of 1:34.99, set by MUNTAZAH (GB) on March 9, 2019, remains the time to beat. Among the top contenders, FORT PAYNE has Dylan McMonagle in the saddle and is prepared by Nicolas Caullery. KAZU PETRIN, with Cristian Demuro aboard, is trained by Manabu Ikezoe. KING GOLD will have Adrie de Vries as its jockey and is trained by Nicolas Caullery. LITTLE VIC is set to be ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Juan Carlos Avila. MENDELSSOHN BAY with Jockey Richard Mullen and trainer Bhupat Seemar.The rest of the field includes MUFASA, NO LUNCH, OASIS BOY, PEPTIDE NILE, QAREEB, RAGING TORRENT, SADAATY, STEAL SUNSHINE, and SWORD POINT, ensuring an exciting and competitive renewal of the Godolphin Mile.
The Al Quoz Sprint, the fourth race of the day and a prestigious Group 1 race, is scheduled for 18:20 and will be run over 1200 meters on turf. Open to three-year-olds and older, the race boasts a total prize pool of USD 1,500,000. The winner will take home USD 870,000, while the track record is held by CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (IRE) with a time of 1:07.50, set on March 30, 2024. The first five horses in the race, along with their jockeys and trainers, are: AUDIENCE, with Robert Havlin riding and trained by John & Thady Gosden, DANON MCKINLEY, ridden by Cristian Demuro and trained by Hideaki Fujiwara, HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE, with James McDonald aboard and trained by John Size, ISIVUNGUVUNGU, ridden by Christophe Soumillon and trained by Graham Motion, MARBAAN, with Ray Dawson in the saddle and trained by Michael Costa. The remaining horses in the field are: QUINAULT, REGIONAL, WIN CARNELIAN, BELIEVING, PURO MAGIC, and WEST ACRE.
The UAE Derby, the fifth race of the day and a Group 2 race for three-year-olds, will take place at 19:00 over a distance of 1900 meters on dirt, with a prize pool of USD 1,000,000. The winner will receive USD 580,000, and the track record is held by MENDELSSOHN (USA), who completed the race in 1:55.18 on March 31, 2018. The first five horses in the race are ADMIRE DAYTONA, ridden by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Yukihiro Kato; DON IN THE MOOD, with Ryusei Sakai riding and Teiichi Konno as trainer; DRAGON, with Yutaka Take in the saddle and Mikio Matsunaga as trainer; FLOOD ZONE, ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Brad Cox; and GALACTIC STAR, with Tadhg O’Shea aboard and trained by Bhupat Seemar. The remaining horses in the field are HEART OF HONOR, RAFID, SHIN FOREVER, and QUEEN AZTECA.
The Dubai Golden Shaheen, the sixth race of the day is a Group 1 race for three-year-olds and older horses, taking place at 19:40 over a 1200-meter distance on dirt. The race carries a prize pool of USD 2,000,000, with the winner receiving USD 1,160,000. The track record is held by ZENDEN (USA), who completed the race in 1:09.01 on March 27, 2021. The first five horses in the race are COLOUR UP, ridden by Patrick Dobbs and trained by Doug Watson; DREW’S GOLD, with Silvestre De Sousa aboard and Julio Olascoaga as trainer; EASTERN WORLD, ridden by Ray Dawson and trained by Ahmad bin Harmash; and KUROJISHI JOE, ridden by Keita Tosaki and trained by Inao Okada. TUZ, ridden by Tadhg O’Shea and trained by Bhupat Seemar. The remaining horses in the field are NAKATOMI, REMAKE, ROYAL COMMANDO, STRAIGHT NO CHASER, SUPER CHOW, AMERICAN STAGE, and DARK SAFFRON.
The Dubai Turf is a prestigious Group 1 race held at 20:15. It is contested over 1800-meter turf course, with a generous prize pool of USD 5,000,000. The winner receives USD 2,900,000, with substantial prizes for the top finishers. The track record is held by ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE) with a time of 1:45.10 set on January 24, 2025. The field includes FACTEUR CHEVAL, ridden by Maxime Guyon and trained by Jerome Reynier; GHOSTWRITER, with Rossa Ryan aboard and Clive Cox as trainer; GOEMON, ridden by Alberto Sanna and trained by Haider Shaheen; HOLLOWAY BOY, with Daniel Tudhope as jockey and Karl Burke as trainer; and MALJOOM, ridden by Tom Marquand and trained by William Haggas. The remaining horses are MEISHO TABARU, NATIONS PRIDE, ROMANTIC WARRIOR, SOUL RUSH, BREDE WEG, and LIBERTY ISLAND. With ROMANTIC WARRIOR on the race card again, it becomes a must-watch to see if the gelding can break its own track-record.
The Longines Dubai Sheema Classic is a premier Group 1 race held at 20:50, will be the eighth race of the day, run over a 2410-meter turf course with a prize pool of USD 6,000,000. The winner will receive USD 3,480,000, with significant rewards for the top finishers. The track record is held by EQUINOX (JPN), set on March 25, 2023, with a time of 2:25.65. The field includes CALIF, ridden by Adrie de Vries and trained by Fawzi Nass; DUREZZA, with Christophe Soumillon aboard and Tomohito Ozeki as trainer; GIAVELLOTTO, ridden by Oisin Murphy and trained by Marco Botti; REBEL’S ROMANCE, with William Buick as jockey and Charlie Appleby as trainer; and CALANDAGAN, ridden by Mickael Barzalona and trained by Francis Henri Graffard. The remaining horses are DANON DECILE, DEIRA MILE, SHIN EMPEROR, and CERVINIA.
The Dubai World Cup at Meydan is set to begin with extra-ordinary management skills, and promising thrilling environment for the racegoers by the best horses trained by skilful trainers and paired with experienced jockeys.
