Dubai World Cup 2025 Review

This is the bit where I both review the races – and the overall experience of a day out at the Dubai World Cup. The first thing I need to mention is that you can get in to Meydan (with its one mile long Grandstand) for the local equivalent of less than a fiver (£5), and that still gives you a half decent view,  possibly encouraging the locals who turn out in force accordingly, though like anywhere else in the World there are hospitality options from the hundreds of pounds to the thousands, depending on the depth of your pockets. Dubai away from the track is a fun place for everyone, but I cannot pretend it is cheap – a meal out is way dearer than at home and a beer requires a mortgage, but that  is nothing that should surprise a tourist to a Muslim country. If you can go tee-total for the day, the races become that much more affordable, and it is pretty evident to me that putting costs within the local people’s budget is a clear aim. Of course there are “pubs” on the track for the tourists (Goose & Gander/McGettigans), plus fast food outlets such as Baskin Robbins and The Maine Taco Truck, as well as a bouncy castle area to keep the youngsters entertained, but if you are on a budget and shop around you can get falafel (not my cup of tea) or a chicken shawarma (part of my preferred diet) for less than £5 and a coke for £2, with fresh fruit juice even cheaper.  All in all, you can spend as much – or as little – as you want to come to one of the best race meetings in the World and trust me, there is a port party atmosphere that is infectious to all in attendance.   

Race 1 – Dubai Kahayla Classic Group 1 – For Purebred Arabians – 2000 metres Dirt- $1,000,000

I told you this was a race I had little interest in, and so it proved as my selection ran on a little too late to take second spot as First Classs took the spoils for the ever likeable Dubai trainer Doug Watson and jockey Connor Beasley. We can claim part of that as a British win with Connor born in Durham, and we look forward to him having a decent season back home in the UK, though I could be seen as clutching at straws for European positives already.

Race 2 – Dubai Gold Cup Group 2 – 3200 metres Turf - $1,000,000

Willaim Buick and Trawlerman decided to take them along from the off for the Gosdens but I have to tell you that the writing was on the wall a long way from home as they queued up behind him to pounce, with Silvestre de Sousa swinging away on Dubai Future, ironically carrying the second Godolphin colours with Trawlerman the supposed number one pick. I have never understood why Saeed bin Suroor has been sidelined by team Godolphin because he clearly has the ability to win big races as he proved here with the nine-year-old Dubawi gelding, who must have been making history at the veteran stage of his career and on his 32nd start. As for the rest of the European challengers, Christophe Ferland’s Double Major came home in second, David O’Meara’s Epic Poet third, Saeed bin Suroor’s Passion and Glory fourth, and Trawlerman fifth for a European clean sweep – though Continuous ran a stinker back in ninth and will head to his next assignment with plenty to prove.    

Race 3 – Godolphin Mile Group 2 – 1600 metres Dirt - $1,000,000

And we had a winner! Raging Torrent broke well under Frankie Dettori and was always in command setting his own fractions on the front end before pulling away for a pretty comfortable success – the ever popular Italian’s eighth in the race. Trained by Doug O’Neill, he earned a mere £464,000 here (???), which will keep the wolf from the door, Trump or no Trump, and as he was my one single bet on the card, I am sitting here grinning away knowing I have got something right! As for the rest of the field, King Gold, Fort Payne, King Gold came home second, eighth and tenth respectively for France, though unsurprisingly us Brits did not have a runner on the dirt.

Race 4 – Al Quoz Sprint Group 1 – 1200 metres Turf - $1,500,000

Hands up – I got it wrong, going for West Acre over Believing will haunt me for some time. George Boughey’s five-year-old mare, sold in December for £3,000,000 Guineas, battled back to get up late on in a thrilling finish where it looked as if Japanese runner Win Carnelian looked all over the winner, while West Acre started badly and ran well in defeat in the circumstances, but not well enough to challenge for the places. Regional picked up a handy £120,000 for the Ed Bethell yard for finishing third and looks all set for a good season and once again, back in the turf, those questioning the strength in depth of the British horses were made to eat their words.

Race 5 – UAE Derby Group 2 – 1900 metres Dirt - $1,000,000

I struggle to agree with any race over a mile and a quarter being called a Derby, but speed is in fashion these days, and no-one wants a mile and a half horse I suppose. I had written off the Jamie Osborne trained Heart of Honour, a decision I will file under “what do I know” after he went under by the narrowest of margins here, ahead before the line and also a stride after – but not where it mattered. I have written many times that I feel Saffie Osborne doesn’t get the rides she deserves, and she came so close here with a power packed ride that deserved better. Connections still pick up £160,000 for second place, but it really was a case of so near yet so far as Christophe Lemaire gave Japan their first winner on the card with Admire Daytona, an 11/1 shot at the off. Some races tonight will turn into processions, but this was a nail biter all the way to the line with Don In The Mood also battling away for Japan back in third in a race everyone here at Meydan will remember for a very long time.

Race 6 – Dubai Golden Shaheen Group 1 – 1200 metres Dirt - $2,000,000

The lad from Durham done good! Not too many would have expected Connor Beasley to ride a winner tonight but he did better than that, doubling up on board 40/1 outsider Dark Saffron here with a brilliant if slightly controversial ride. Odds-on favourite Straight No Chaser ran no race at all and was back peddling fairly early in the race, but Connor manoeuvred his mount across from a high draw to the front, and never really looked like getting caught. Local star Tuz was an unlucky loser after looking for a run up the inside before the winner shut the door on that idea ending his chances, and he may have even been the moral victor, but the formbook will always show a win for trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash, with the dirt world opening up for his son of Flameaway who was a rare three-year-old winner of this race, suggesting there may be an awful lot more to come in the future.    

Race 7 - Dubai Turf Group 1 – 1800 metres Turf - $5,000,000

As far as the racing World was concerned, this was all over bar the shouting with Romantic Warrior fully expected to win on his return to the turf after a gallant effort on dirt in the Saudi Cup. One of the World’s best horses (personally, I think he is THE best), the short odds of 4/9 at home in the UK were punter prohibitive – but as I can’t bet out here, I could relax and enjoy watching racing royalty in action without any concerns for a change. I did notice the favourite was sweating up more than most pre-race which is never a good sign, and sadly my fears were realised despite him getting the perfect run from the off. Manoeuvred into the lead up the home straight, he didn’t quicken up as well as he has done in the past, and in a ding-dong battle he gave way in the shadow of the post to Japanese raider Soul Rush, though boy was it close. Although it looked to me as if my hero had been clearly beaten, it took an age for the photo finish to be declared (we wondered if we might see a dead-heat), but Cristain Demuro was the jockey celebrating after he got the seven-year-old up by a nose hair. Personally, I wonder if the race in Saudi took more out of Romantic Warrior than connections realised, because he just didn’t look like the same horse, but that takes nothing away from the winner who is as game as they come. As for the Europeans, we weren’t disgraced with Maljoom running on strongly to finish third and Ghostwriter fourth, though Factor Chevel in sixth, Nations Pride in tenth, and Holloway Boy in eleventh didn’t fare quite as well.    

Race 8 – Longines Dubai Sheema Classic – 2410 metres Turf - $6,000,000

Sour grapes anyone? It is a rare occurrence for me to criticise a jockey but I really feel Mickael Barzalona rode a stinker on Calandagan here, leaving his horse out the back in a slowly run race when those in front were not going to be stopping. When he did get out, he closed fast and late but never looked like getting to the third Japanese winer of the night in the shape of Danon Decile who to be fair, had more to give if challenged. A 14/1 shot in the Uk, that meant one winning favourite in the first eight races, a nightmare scenario for punters the world over.  Rebels Romance tried to make every post a winning one before fading late on into fourth, while Giavellotto looks set for another good season after a respectable fifth, and I hope to see him in action in Hong Kong later in the month, assuming he recovers from his efforts. Deira Mile was sent off the rank outsider but still beat one home, though on turf I admit, I expected a European winner here, but it wasn’t to be this season.     

Race 9 – Dubai World Cup – 2000 metres Dirt - $12,000,000

And so it all comes to an adrenalin sapping end, with one of the most valuable races on our planet. Having seen two odds-on shots already overturned tonight, all eyes were on Japanese raider Forever Young, the winner of the Saudi Cup last time out, and already successful at Meydan after winning the UAE Derby over this trip last year by a couple of lengths. Truth is, he seemed to have scared off most of the top American opposition many expected, and with Imperial Emperor second in the betting without a Group One win to his name, the opposition looked second class – though so far tonight that has meant very little, and so it turned out AGAIN. Hit Show was “only” 66/1 in the UK markets at the off but I suspect he traded at a much bigger price in running on the exchanges. Detached and out the back for most of the race he sprouted wings despite failing to get a clear run before pouncing on a shocked Frankie Dettori who looked all set for success on Mixto (40/1), with the odds-on Forever Young labouring away back in third and presumably also showing signs of a hard race in Saudi. The forecast paid out £1564.45 for anyone who owns a crystal ball (which wasn’t me), and with three beaten odds-on favourites on the day, I was pretty glad you cannot bet over here!

Lastly, after an unforgettable night of class performances, tight finishes, and shock winers, we had the after racing light show – a description that really does not do it justice. I won’t go into detail here but suffice to say the biggest firework show I have ever seen, backed up by thousands of drones lighting up the sky and making various pictures, from the Dubai Royal Family to horses galloping, it literally look everyone’s breath away and I can only suggest you have a look for yourself somewhere like here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiX75yIEIfY

Sean Trivass was a guest of the Dubai Racing Club and would like to thank them for all their assistance and guidance throughout week     

 Photos credit DRC/Liesl King