The Dubai World Cup 2025 Preview
What is The Dubai World Cup 2025?
The Dubai World Cup was first run in 1996 and was set up by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a horse racing fan and the Ruler of Dubai, he also owns Darley Stud & Godolphin Racing. The race takes place on the final Saturday of March or this year on 5th April 2025 and is the feature race of the Dubai World Cup Night.
The race is a Group 1 on the dirt, run over 2,000 metres and is open to Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds aged four and upwards, and Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds aged three and older. Since 2019, the race has had a prize pool of $12 US million, making it one of the richest horse races in the world up there with the TAB Everest.
Dubai World Cup History
The Dubai World Cup night is contested at the Meydan Racecourse, which is in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE. The card features nine races, including eight Thoroughbred races and one Purebred Arabian race and is worth over $30 US million making it a potentially very lucrative night for owners, trainers and jockeys.
In 2024 Laurel River, with jockey Tadhg O’Shea in the saddle and trained by Bhupat Seemar won the race by a staggering best part of 9 lengths, but sadly due to a recent injury the horse won’t be competing again this year.
Recent Winners
Over the course of the last 30 years, the Dubai World Cup has seen many champions that have gone on to become legends in the sport starting with the US-trained Cigar’s victory in the very first running. In 2000 it was fitting that the locally owned Dubai Millennium, which was renamed specifically with the aim of winning the race, took out the honours. Thunder Snow is to date the only two-time winner of the race.
Romantic Warrior
With many of the world’s best horses set to compete on the card there will be plenty of interest in one runner, 2023 Cox Plate winner Romantic Warrior goes for glory in the Dubai Turf with James McDonald on board. The Aussie-based Kiwi has ridden Romantic Warrior in thirteen races winning on 11 occasions of which nine have been Group 1 races! Even more impressively this has been in four different countries, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, and Dubai.
Races and Approx Times in Australia
Race 1: 11:35pm: Dubai Kahayla Classic (Sponsored by Zabeel Feed), Group 1, 5YO+, Purebred Arabian, Dirt, 2,000m
Race 2: 12:10am: Dubai Gold Cup (Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors), Group 2, 4YO+, Thoroughbred, Turf, 3,200m
Race 3: 12:45am: Godolphin Mile (Sponsored by EMAAR), Group 2, 4YO+ and SH 3YO, Thoroughbred, Dirt, 1,600m
Race 4: 1:20am: Al Quoz Sprint (Sponsored by AZIZI Developments), Group 1, 3YO+, Thoroughbred, Turf, 1,200m
Race 5: 2:00am: UAE Derby (Sponsored by Jumeirah), Group 2, 3YO, Thoroughbred, Dirt, 1,900m
Race 6: 2:40am: Dubai Golden Shaheen (Sponsored by Nakheel), Group 1, 3YO+, Thoroughbred, Dirt, 1,200m
Race 7: 3:15am: Dubai Turf (Sponsored by DP World), Group 1, SH 3YO and 4YO+, Thoroughbred, Turf, 1,800m
Race 8: 3:50am: Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Group 1, 4YO+ and SH 3YO, Thoroughbred, Turf, 2,410m
Race 9: 4:30am: Dubai World Cup (Sponsored by Emirates Airline), Group 1, 4YO+ and SH 3YO, Thoroughbred, Dirt, 2,000m
Odds and Tips for the Dubai World Cup 2025
Here are the odds and runners for the race starting with the heavily fancied favourite no 1, Forever Young at $1.50. No 2 is Hit Show at $34 with Il Miracolo at $51. Last year’s winning combo send out the 4, Imperial Emperor at $5. With Katonah at $51.
Fans of jockey Frankie Dettori has his runner the number 6, Mixto at $26. Ramjet is at $21. Whilst the 8 is Rattle N Roll at $31. Ushba Tesoro has had some support and is at $10 with the last two runners in the field being the 10 and 11, Walk of Stars at $8,50 and Wilson Tesoro at $18.
The Pickabookie.com.au selection for the race is Imperial Emperor to upset the favourite and see last year’s trainer and jockey repeat the victory.
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