The Dubai World Cup
Updated: 15.08.2025
The wealth and luxury associated with thoroughbred horse racing is international, but it is hard to find an event that tops the Dubai World Cup, held each March in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The term "Dubai World Cup" can refer to the entire evening of stakes races held that night at Meydan Racecourse, or to the main event, which will knock your socks off with a purse of $12 million.
Considering that many of the world's most prestigious horse races have been around for a long time - some for over a century - the Dubai World Cup has had to work hard to catch up in the eyes of horse racing enthusiasts. After all, the race's pedigree dates back only to its first edition in 1996. But thanks to the combination of a huge purse, an extraordinary venue, and a near-total absence of inferior competition, the World Cup has become a central event for just about everyone with a stake in the sport.
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the credibility of the race is to look at the quality of the field. Since the very first winner in 1996, Cigar, the race has been won by horses with extraordinary records. Of course you would expect that - this is the race with the richest purse in world history, not just for the Dubai World Cup itself, but for all nine of the accompanying Group One and Two stakes races that make up this racing extravaganza.
In addition to the interest generated by the display of Thoroughbred greatness, the race also generates remarkable betting interest. The international fields for the Dubai World Cup are usually so star-studded that there are almost no short-priced favorites. This means that betting on the race, which must be done off-course due to Dubai's wagering restrictions, offers the potential for big payoffs on low-risk bets.
History
The Dubai World Cup would not exist without the efforts of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikh Mohammed, who now serves as Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, turned a childhood interest in horse racing into an astonishingly successful career as a racehorse owner and breeder. As horses from his Godolphin Stables won major victories in Britain and then went on to international success, he began to think about how to bring a high-profile horse racing event to Dubai.
The Dubai Racing Club was founded in 1992 and built the Nad Al Sheba racecourse in the same year. Since then, the track has proven itself capable of hosting major events, so much so that it was used to host the inaugural Dubai World Cup Night in 1996, a nine-race night that was immediately hailed by many as the richest night in horse racing.
There is no doubt that the American champion Cigar gave the event a boost right from the start. Cigar came to Dubai as part of his astounding 13-race winning streak and won the inaugural Dubai World Cup, a contest that carried a $4 million purse at the time and, as you can see in this video, was held in a very unique setting. (Pearls on the horse's bridle, anyone?) The event proved that it could indeed attract the best horses from around the world to this thoroughbred racing oasis in the desert.
Exactly one year after the first event, there were fears that the Dubai event might not be able to take place. The area was being pelted with rain and there were some in the U.S. who thought the whole thing might not be salvageable. But not Sheikh Mohammed, who had a lot riding on this thing working. He wasn't going to let a little weather keep his horses on the ground. He sent helicopters out to dry the track. They used the same kind of helicopters that the Luftwaffe used to torch the Reichstag in World War II. (Just kidding. Sort of.) Anyway, the races were held a few days later. And it hardly matters now if they did. The net effect was to make it look like anything could happen at any time with these U.S. events.
In 2010, the Nad Al Sheba racecourse was rebuilt and renamed Meydan Racecourse. It has been the venue for the Dubai World Cup since that year. For the first five years, the Dubai World Cup was held on a synthetic surface known as Tapeta. Beginning in 2015, partly due to concerns from top horses trained in the United States about the synthetic surfaces, Meydan switched to a dirt course, and that has been the surface for the World Cup ever since. The distance for the race is 2000 meters, or about a mile and a quarter.
The Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida, United States, was run in 2017 and carried a purse of $12 million. It surpassed the Dubai World Cup, which had risen to a purse of $10 million, as the richest race in the world. In 2018, it was announced that the Dubai race's purse would increase to $12 million. (The Pegasus had risen to $16 million).
Still, the World Cup is not a cheap date. While the Dubai World Cup is essentially provided at virtually no cost to the connections, the Pegasus World Cup is a $16 million extravaganza for which participants are expected to put up $12.5 million to run their horses; the winner, meanwhile, gets a share of $7.2 million, which matches or exceeds any other purse in the horse world.
Memorable Dubai World Cup Champions
As noted above, the caliber of the winners in the Dubai World Cup was determined by the dynamic performances of the horses, and the first good example of that was Cigar. Ridden by Jerry Bailey and trained by Bill Mott, Cigar was the champion's champion, and Singspiel's victory 365 days later gave Sheikh Mohammed the honor of winning with a horse he owned and trained.
A year later, Silver Charm became the first horse to win both the American Triple Crown and the Dubai World Cup. Silver Charm had won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and narrowly missed the Triple Crown, losing in the Belmont Stakes on an afternoon when he was trained by a horsemen's delegate. He returned in 1998, his form intact, and added the 24-karat gold Dubai World Cup trophy to his already impressive collection.
In 2004, Pleasantly Perfect, fresh from winning the Breeders' Cup Classic a few months earlier, followed that up with a victory in the Dubai World Cup. He was back the following year to make it two in a row, but was denied by Roses In May. In fact, there has never been a back-to-back winner of the Dubai World Cup in its 23-year history.
Electrocutionist, owned by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing, won the 2006 World Cup but succumbed to a heart attack later that year. Two years later, Curlin, who had previously won both the Preakness Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Classic, took command of the Dubai World Cup. His victory further cemented his status as one of the premier racehorses of his era.
The last World Cup to be held at Nad Al Sheba was in 2009, and the winner of that race was Well Armed, who set a record by winning by 14 lengths. Quite an event, when you think about it: a race on the world stage, with a million-dollar purse, and an equine performer trotting - no, galloping - to a 14-length victory over, oh, such a long distance!
Recent Dubai World Cup Winners
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | African Story | Silvestre de Sousa | The former turf racer won the World Cup at age seven as a 12-1 long shot |
| 2015 | Prince Bishop | William Buick | As an eight-year-old 14-1 shot, he beat a field that included defending champ Prince Bishop and American superstar California Chrome |
| 2016 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | The 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner atoned for his loss in the World Cup the previous season |
| 2017 | Arrogate | Mike Smith | With wins in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup and the Dubai World Cup, he bagged the two richest races in the world in a matter of months |
| 2018 | Thunder Snow | Christophe Soumillon | He was previously known for his fractious behavior during the 2017 Kentucky Derby, but the Irish-bred horse atoned for that with a front-running romp in the World Cup |
The Dubai World Cup Experience
The Dubai World Cup may be a race, but it is only a small part of the dazzling festivities that take place at Meydan every March. It is, after all, one of only nine major stakes races held that night. The other stakes races on the card:
- The Kahayla Classic Dubai is held at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This horse race was established in 2010 and has a total prize purse of 1,000,000 Dirhams (approximately $272,000 in 2016).
- Mile Godolphin;
- UAE Derby;
- Dubai Turf
- Dubai Golden Shaheen
- Dubai Sheema Classic;
- Gold Cup, Dubai
- Al Quoz Sprint:;
In addition to the racing, visitors to the Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates are treated to a wonderful show. Meydan racecourse is more than just a horse racing facility; it offers an impressive array of experiences that no world-class tourist destination could be without. This includes not only a museum dedicated to the history of horse racing, but also several fine dining restaurants and a luxury hotel.
The focus is on the racing, but there is also a joyous atmosphere that is enhanced by wonderful entertainment. The Dubai World Cup has made it a tradition to follow the racing action with a massive fireworks display. A concert featuring some of the biggest names in music also thrills fans at the Dubai World Cup.
How to Bet on the Dubai World Cup
At racetracks around the world, fans can bet right where the action is. But that is not the case at the Dubai World Cup. Traditional betting is simply not allowed in Dubai, so fans must place their bets in advance of the event. If you're a fan attending the Dubai World Cup and you want to bet on any of the races taking place that day, you'll have to do it in advance.
There will be a Pick 6 contest for the fans at the event, but it's not the kind of betting fans might expect. However, it's easy to get around this in the modern era. Bets can be placed through the many online horse racing betting sites that now exist for those who wish to wager on this high profile event.
Betting on horses over the internet is very convenient for those who can't make it to the track. In the case of the Dubai World Cup, it's useful even if you can get to the United Arab Emirates to watch. The popularity of the race makes it a shoo-in for inclusion on most reputable betting sites.
We've put together a list of reliable, long-standing betting sites. They should provide excellent reasons to part with your money, whether it's your first time or your hundredth. And they should do so without leading you into an impenetrable customer service maze or leaving you with an underfunded wager when the outcome is determined.
Once you have selected the site where you wish to place your bets on the Dubai World Cup, the next step is to fund your account. After that, you have to make an important decision: what type of bet do you want to place on the race itself? There are several options available to you.
Betting on horse races can be as simple or as complex as the bettor wishes. The simplest bets involve only one horse finishing in the top three positions - either first ("win"), second ("place"), or third ("show"). These bets are called "straight bets" and are not to be confused with bets placed on a straight track, such as the Dubai World Cup.
In terms of wagering prospects, the Dubai World Cup can be an exciting event for bettors, as the field tends to be international. Each horse tends to be a champion in its own country, drawn to Dubai by the prospect of huge purses.
This means that it can be difficult to pick a winner from all the contenders. But if you can, and if you are able to look past the obvious choice, you will likely find odds that make even a straight bet on this race a fairly profitable endeavor. The bottom line is that the Dubai World Cup is one of those contests where, if you can get a selection right, you are likely to find a pretty nice return on your investment.
Dubai World Cup
