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Start Of The Dubai Carnival 2012
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The Dubai World Cup Carnival starts on January 5 at Meydan Racecourse and will end in an exclusive meeting on March 31 with the 17th running of the $10-million Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1). Post time in South Africa will kick off on January 6, at 3pm.
Last year, the Dubai World Cup was won by the Japanese horse Victoire Pisa, ridden by Italian jockey Mirco Demuro in his first attempt. Vicotoire Pisa has been very recently retired from racing to stand at stud at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm in Japan. He is the first Japanese-bred horse to win the world's richest race. He is by Neo Universe, (a son of Sunday Silence) out of English and Irish champion Whitewater Affair by Machiavellian. Summerhill Stud are currently standing Admire Main(JPN) the only son of Sunday Silence on the African continent. Judging by Victoire Pisa's pedigree, Summerhill Stud have a significant amount of Machiavellian blood at their disposal and this pedigree cross proves that more success should be imminent for the Champion breeders.
History was made by the American ‘wonder horse’ Cigar (pictured on the right with our guest columnist, Dr Sarah Seitz at the Kentucky Horse Park), when he claimed the first Dubai World Cup run in 1996. Cigar appeared to be in trouble when, from last, came Soul of the Matter who began to cut into Cigar’s lead. Like all true champions, Cigar called upon extra reserves and defied his rival in the final 200m. Described as a heroic battle, this encounter indeed set the benchmark for all future renewals. After an unsuccessful start at stud with none of his mares in foal and a team of expert vets unable to revive his stud career, Cigar was declared infertile and now lives out his days at the Kentucky Horse Park.
With the establishment of the annual invitation-only Dubai World Cup, the United Arab Emirates became the home of one of the world’s top racing challenges, which drew the attention of millions of enthusiasts around the globe. Among the horses entered in the inaugural race was a 13-time winner from Australia, a seven-race winner from Great Britain, the ‘dirt horse’ champion from Japan, and Cigar, North America’s ‘Horse of the Year’ for 1995.
Reflective of the overwhelming generosity of the UAE and embodying the warmth of traditional Arabian hospitality, contenders for the purses are flown in from all corners of the world, such as North and South America, South Africa, South East Asia, Australasia and Europe, and horsemen enjoy generous travel subsidies for their support of racing in the UAE. Local trainers Mike de Kock and Herman Brown Jr have flown the flag for South Africa very successfully in Dubai, with 2010 Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano being the South African hopeful this year.
The world’s richest day of racing, will surpass its own record in terms of purses in 2012. Meydan officials have added the newly-named Dubai Gold Cup (UAE-G3) to the program, a move that will increase the race card to nine events, anchored by the World Cup, for combined purses of $27,250,000.
The Dubai World Cup, worth US$10 million in prizemoney alone, is classified as a ‘Group One Flat Race’ for four-year-old thoroughbreds and above, and spans a distance of 2,000m (one mile, two furlongs, previously run on dirt it is now contested on an All-Weather surface).
Chief supporting races are the US$5 million Dubai Duty Free and the US$5 million Dubai Sheema Classic, sponsored by Longines - the two richest races run on turf, anywhere in the world. The Group Three Dubai Gold Cup to be run over 3,200m, is also on turf.
Perhaps part of the Dubai World Cup’s success is not only due to the state-of-the-art race track, but the burgeoning status of Dubai as an international crossroads and global transport hub, and of course a first-class tourist destination, evidenced by more than 50,000 racegoers attending the Dubai World Cup meeting each year.
2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival schedule:
Thursday, January 5
$125,000 Al Rashidiya Trial
1,800 metres on turf
Meydan Masters International Jockey Challenge-day one
Friday, January 6
$50,000 United Arab Emirates One Thousand Guineas Trial
3yo Fillies, 1,400 metres, Tapeta
Meydan Masters International Jockey Challenge-day two
Thursday, January 12
$200,000 Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G3)
1,600 metres, Tapeta
$50,000 United Arab Emirates Two Thousand Guineas Trial
3yo, 1,400 meters, Tapeta
Friday, January 12
$200,000 Cape Verde ((UAE-G2)
Fillies and mares, 1,600 metres over turf
Thursday, January 26
$200,000 Al Rashidiya (UAE-G2)
1,800 metres over turf
Friday, February 3
$250,000 United Arab Emirates One Thousand Guineas (Listed)
3yo Fillies, 1,600 metres, Tapeta
$200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint (UAE-G3)
1,200 meters, Tapeta
$100,000 Meydan Classic Trial
3yo, 1,400 metres, turf
Thursday, February 9
$250,000 Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (UAE-G2)
1,900 metres, Tapeta
$250,000 United Arab Emirates Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3)
Three-year-olds, 1,600 metres, Tapeta
$200,000 Firebreak Stakes (UAE-G3)
1,600 metres, Tapeta
Thursday, February 16
$250,000 Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2)
1,600 metres over turf
Friday, February 17
$200,000 Balanchine (UAE-G2)
Fillies and mares, 1,800 metres over turf
Thursday, February 23
$250,000 United Arab Emirates Oaks (UAE-G3), 3yo fillies – 1900m, Tapeta
$150,000 Meydan Classic (Listed) 3yo’s – 1600 metres over turf
Thursday, March 1
$250,000 Zabeel Mile (UAE-G2) – 1600 metres over turf
$200,000 Nad al Sheba Trophy (UAE-G3) – 2810 metres over turf
Super Saturday, March 10
$400,000 Maktoum Challenge. Round 3 (UAE-G1) – 2000m, Tapeta
$300,000 Jebel Hatta (UAE-G1) – 1800 metres over turf
$250,000 Dubai City of Gold (UAE-G2) – about 2400 metres over turf
$200,000 Mahab Al Shimaal (UAE-G3) – 1200m, Tapeta
$200,000 Burj Nahaar (UAE-G3) – 1600m, Tapeta
$250,000 Al Bastakiya (Listed) 3yo’s – 1900m, Tapeta
$175,000 Meydan Sprint – 1000 metres over turf
Dubai World Cup day, March 31
$10,000,000 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) – 2000m, Tapeta
$5,000,000 Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) – 2400 metres over turf
$5,000,000 Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) – 1800 metres over turf
$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) – 1200m, Tapeta
$2,000,000 United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G2) – 1900m, Tapeta
$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) – 1600m, Tapeta
$1,000,000 Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G1) – 1200 metres over turf
$1,000,000 Dubai Gold Cup (UAE-G3) – 3200 metres over turf
Information source www.mikedekockracing.com and www.dubaiworldcup.com
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