By Duane Fonseca
The night when Dubai witnesses a paradigm shift in its racing is here.
Meydan Racecourse, the home of the magnificent Dubai World Cup, will break from tradition for the first time on Friday and start a season where there will be no differentiation made between the domestic and international halves of the campaign.
Enter the new-look Dubai Racing Carnival, a season-long extravaganza of racing that will witness locally-based powerhouses fielding their horses against the world’s best from the very outset.
In a raft of new changes to the racing structure that are at once evolutionary and revolutionary, Dubai Racing Club (DRC), the body organising racing at Meydan Racecourse, announced during the off-season that the long-running Dubai World Cup Carnival that had until last term withstood the test of time would make way for the all-new Dubai Racing Carnival.
This comprehensive restructuring, the DRC has reiterated, is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has endeavoured successfully to keep Dubai at the forefront of fast-paced development that is powered by a spirit of unceasing innovation.
Addressing global media via a virtual press conference a few months ago, Major General Dr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, the Executive Director of Dubai Racing Club, had confirmed horses from all over the world would be welcome to race in Dubai for the entirety of the season.
The Dubai Racing Carnival will feature a total of 15 meetings at Meydan, of which 13 will be held on Fridays, starting with this week’s opener on November 10. Only two meetings have been reserved for Saturdays, the prestigious Super Saturday meeting on March 2, the traditional dress rehearsal for the showpiece Dubai World Cup card, and the showpiece event, which, this season, will be held not three but exactly four weeks later on March 30.
Super Saturday is one of three feature nights of racing at Meydan Racecourse this term, the other two being: Festive Friday on December 22 and Fashion Friday on January 26.
'Something for everyone'
“Meydan Racecourse is an iconic venue, and we are keen to make it a one-stop destination for entertainment, both sporting and social. We also have a range of top-class restaurants, plus casual dining, so there is something to suit every taste,” said Dr Al Adhab.
The move is also marked by a massive boost in prize money which is bound to attract the very best horses, owners, trainers and jockeys. And while a minimum purse of AED165,000 has been reserved for maiden races, Listed events will now carry funds of AED500,000, with hefty increments further enlarging the money offered for Group contests. The new prize money represents a hike of 11 per cent vis-a-vis the 2022-23 campaign. However, the overall purse of the 2024 Dubai World Cup meeting has been maintained at $30.5million.
The new structure will allow connections worldwide to plan better and under the new system, owners and trainers can register their horses as either permanent or temporary imports and avail of facilities in the city with racing permissions set for each of the two categories.
Speaking of the changes, Dr. Al Adhab added: “Dubai was first in the region to draw racing’s spotlight onto itself and we have been trailblazers when it comes to putting down a blueprint for the sport thanks to our incredible leadership that has over the years wholeheartedly supported racing and the ‘Sport of Kings’.
“Dubai Racing Club believes in developing and evolving according to the ever-changing ecosystems in which it operates and today we are putting in place tools that will pump more energy and revitalise the system.
“We have not cancelled the Carnival but have redeveloped it according to the growing needs of the region and all the changes that are taking place here. We want our guests to come and enjoy the magnificence of racing in the region and for that we have the full support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed.”
Automatic entry for winners
DRC have also put in place a new Bonus Scheme of qualifying races for the Dubai World Cup, with more than US$4million in additional prize money up for grabs. The scheme encompasses nine races - all at Meydan Racecourse - between January 26 and March 2, 2024.
Winners of the nine races will receive an automatic entry to the corresponding race on Dubai World Cup night on 30 March, with a chance of a 10 per cent bonus if they were to win both races - the qualifier and the main event.
The bonus scheme is the first of its kind in the region and will tempt trainers and owners to prepare their potential candidates for the Dubai World Cup in the city itself.
“We are excited about launching the Dubai World Cup Bonus series,” Dr Al Adhab added.
“History has shown, through the likes of Dubai Millennium, Curlin and California Chrome, among others, that racing in Dubai prior to the Dubai World Cup can be an advantage, so we would like to further encourage trainers to do this by offering an added 10 per cent to the purse if horses win both races.”
