Dubai Turf
| Class | Group One |
|---|---|
| Location | Meydan Racecourse Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Inaugurated | 1996 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | Dubai World Cup |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1,800 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Northern Hemisphere 4yo+ & Southern Hemisphere 3yo+ |
| Weight | SH 3yo: 54.5kg. NH & SH 4yo+: 57kg. Allowance fillies and mares 2kg |
| Purse | US$6 million |
The Dubai Turf is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night in March.[1]
History
[edit]The race, initially named Dubai Duty Free, was first run in 1996 on dirt, with a distance of 2,000 metres (1 mile 2 furlongs). It was transferred to turf, and a distance of 1,777 metres, in 2000. The race attained Group 1 status in 2002. Between 1996 and 2009 it was run at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Since 2010 it has been run in Meydan, where it is run at 1,800 metres.
In 2006, the race became the second leg of the four race Asian Mile Challenge.
The race currently offers a purse of US$6 million, which places it and the Dubai Sheema Classic among the richest races on turf in the world.[2][3]
In 2015, DP World signed a sponsorship agreement with Meydan Group and the race name was renamed to Dubai Turf.[4]
Records
[edit]Speed record: (at current distance of 1,800 metres and Meydan Racecourse)
- 1:45.52 – Just A Way (2014)
Most wins:
- 3 - Lord North (2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 – Frankie Dettori (1997, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 6 – Saeed bin Suroor (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013, 2018)
Most wins by an owner:
- 5 – Godolphin Racing (1997, 1998, 2013, 2018, 2026)
Winners
[edit]| Year | Winner | Age |
Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 |  Key of Luck (USA) |
5 | Gary Stevens (USA) |
Kiaran McLaughlin (USA) |
 Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum (UAE) |
2:03.77 | |||
| 1997 |  Tamayaz (CAN) |
5 |  Frankie Dettori (ITA) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Godolphin (UAE) |
2:02.20 | |||
| 1998 |  Annus Mirabilis (FR) |
6 | Gary Stevens (USA) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Godolphin (UAE) |
2:04.32 | |||
| 1999 | Altibr (USA) |
4 |  Richard Hills (GB) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Hamdan Al Maktoum (UAE) |
2:00.79 | |||
| 2000 | Rhythm Band (USA) |
4 |  Ted Durcan (IRE) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE) |
1:48.60 | |||
| 2001 | Jim And Tonic (FR) |
7 | Gérald Mossé (FR) |
François Doumen (FR) |
John D. Martin (GB) & Roger Barby (GB) |
1:47.83 | |||
| 2002 | Terre a Terre (FR) |
5 |  Christophe Soumillon (BEL) |
Eric Libaud (FR) |
Madame Henri Devin (FR) & Madame Biden Ashbrooke (FR) |
1:48.75 | |||
| 2003 |  Ipi Tombe (ZWE) |
4 |  Kevin Shea (SAF) |
Mike de Kock (SAF) |
Team Valor (USA), Sunmark Stable (SAF) & WinStar Farm (USA) |
1:47.61 | |||
| 2004 | Right Approach (GB) (dh) |
5 | Weichong Marwing (SAF) |
Mike de Kock (SAF) |
Bernard Kantor (SAF) et al. |
1:49.36 | |||
 Paolini (GER) (dh) |
7 |  Eduardo Pedroza (PAN) |
Andreas Wöhler (GER) |
Carde Ostermann-Richter (GER) | |||||
| 2005 |  Elvstroem (AUS) |
5 | Nash Rawiller (AUS) |
Tony Vasil (AUS) |
Elvstroem Syndicate (AUS) |
1:50.54 | |||
| 2006 | David Junior (USA) |
4 | Jamie Spencer (IRE) |
Brian Meehan (IRE) |
 Roldvale Limited (WAL) & Gold Group International (GB) |
1:49.65 | |||
| 2007 |  Admire Moon (JPN) |
4 | Yutaka Take (JPN) |
Hiroyoshi Matsuda (JPN) |
Riichi Kondo (JPN) |
1:47.94 | |||
| 2008 | Jay Peg (SAF) |
5 | Anton Marcus (SAF) |
Herman Brown (SAF) |
Marsh Shirtliff (SAF) et al. |
1:46:20 | |||
| 2009 | Gladiatorus (USA) |
4 | Ahmed Ajtebi (UAE) |
Mubarak bin Shafya (UAE) |
Mansoor Al Maktoum (UAE) |
1:46.92 | |||
| 2010 | Al Shemali (GB) |
6 | Royston Ffrench (GB) |
Ali Rashid Al Raihe (UAE) |
Mansoor Al Maktoum (UAE) |
1:50.84 | |||
| 2011 | Presvis (GB) |
7 | Ryan Moore (GB) |
Luca Cumani (ITA) |
 Leonidas Marinopoulos (GRC) |
1:50.21 | |||
| 2012 | Cityscape (GB) |
6 | James Doyle (GB) |
Roger Charlton (GB) |
 Khalid Abdullah (KSA) |
1:48.65 | |||
| 2013 | Sajjhaa (GB) |
6 |  Silvestre de Sousa (BR) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Godolphin (UAE) |
1:47.93 | |||
| 2014 | Just A Way (JPN) |
5 | Yuichi Fukunaga (JPN) |
Naosuke Sugai (JPN) |
Akatsuki Yamatoya (JPN) |
1:45.52 | |||
| 2015 | Solow (GB) |
5 | Maxime Guyon (FR) |
Freddy Head (FR) |
Wertheimer et Frère (FR) |
1:47.76 | |||
| 2016 | Real Steel (JPN) |
4 | Ryan Moore (GB) |
Yoshito Yahagi (JPN) |
Sunday Racing (JPN) |
1:47.13 | |||
| 2017 | Vivlos (JPN) |
4 | João Moreira (BR) |
Yasuo Tomomichi (JPN) |
Kazuhiro Sasaki (JPN) |
1:50.20 | |||
| 2018 | Benbatl (GB) |
4 | Oisin Murphy (IRE) |
Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) |
Godolphin (UAE) |
1:46.08 | |||
| 2019 | Almond Eye (JPN) |
4 | Christophe Lemaire (FR) |
Sakae Kunieda (JPN) |
Silk Racing (JPN) |
1:46.78 | |||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||||
| 2021 | Lord North (IRE) |
5 | Frankie Dettori (ITA) |
John Gosden (GB) |
Zayed bin Mohammed (UAE) |
1:46.46 | |||
| 2022 | Lord North (IRE) (dh) |
6 | Frankie Dettori (ITA) |
John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
Zayed bin Mohammed (UAE) |
1:45.77 | |||
| Panthalassa (JPN) (dh) |
5 | Yutaka Yoshida (JPN) |
Yoshito Yahagi (JPN) |
Hiroo Race Co., Ltd. (JPN) | |||||
| 2023 | Lord North (IRE) |
7 | Frankie Dettori (ITA) |
John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
Zayed bin Mohammed (UAE) |
1:47.39 | |||
| 2024 | Facteur Cheval (IRE) |
5 | Maxime Guyon (FR) |
Jerome Reynier (FR) |
Team Valor International (USA) & Gary Barber (SAF) |
1:45.91 | |||
| 2025 | Soul Rush (JPN) |
7 | Cristian Demuro (ITA) |
Yasutoshi Ikee (JPN) |
Tatsue Ishikawa (JPN) |
1:45.84 | |||
| 2026 | Ombudsman (IRE) |
5 | William Buick (GB) |
John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
Godolphin (UAE) |
1:47.46 | |||
Incidents
[edit]- 2024: Catnip (USA) broke down in the final furlong and had to be euthanized on the track. Jockey Christophe Lemaire was taken to the hospital for examination.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Dubai Turf | Past Winners | Results | United Arab Emirates". www.racingandsports.com.au. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ↑ "In pictures: The Dubai World Cup, one of the richest events in horse racing". CNN. 2 April 2024.
- ↑ Freeman, Ben (4 April 2020). "Dubai's Big Prize. The World's Richest Horse Race is the Dubai World Cup". Beau Monde Traveler.
- ↑ Emmet, James (16 January 2015). "DP World signs five-year racing deal". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ↑ "Facteur Cheval hangs on for upset in Dubai Turf". www.drf.com. Retrieved 27 May 2024.