The Dubai World Cup will run for the 14th time on Saturday, March 28th at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai, UAE. The race, which was first run in 1996, has become the richest race in the world with $21.25 million (USD) up for grabs in seven separate races.
The World Cup race is an invitation-only event that features 14 horses from around the world. The two kilometer race is a “Group 1 Flat Race” on a dirt track. Thoroughbreds must be four-years-old and older to compete for the $6 million prize. This year’s horses represent Australasia, Europe, North America, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.
The racecourse will host 50,000 spectators on Saturday, many of whom will be staying at five star Dubai hotels or moored in their private yachts along the coast. There will be numerous onsite parties and social events as well as the horseracing.
The festivities on Saturday include six other races. The Dubai duty Free and the Dubai Sheema Classic both offer purses of $5 million and are the world’s richest horseraces run on turf. Two races will offer $2 million prizes: the UAE Derby and the Dubai Golden Shaheen, while another, the Godolphin Mile has a $1 million prize. The opening race will be the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians.
This will be the final year for the Dubai World Cup at the nad Al Sheba Racecourse. In 2010 the event moves to a new Meydan racecourse.
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