Dubai Cup History
History - Facts - Race Tracks
The Dubai World Cup is a thoroughbred horse race event held annually since 1996 at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, 10 minutes away from the city centre of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Dubai World Cup was the creation of Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, emir of Dubai, who owns Darley Stud, one of the world's leading thoroughbred breeding and racing operations.
The Dubai World Cup first winner was the future United States Hall of Fame thoroughbred, Cigar.
Due to its importance in racing in 2006, the Dubai World Cup will be broadcast live on television. It will be the first time ever the Dubai World Cup will be shown on national TV in the United States.
The Dubai World Cup has quickly established itself as one of the world's most important races. The Dubai World Cup is the world's richest horse race, with a purse of USD 6 million since 2004. With Dubai World Cup’s huge purse, the largest offered in all of racing, top horses from around the world have shipped in to the ancestral home of the Thoroughbred in hopes of capturing the Dubai World Cup winner's share and the unofficial title of Horse of the World.
For the Dubai World Cup inaugural running in 1996, America's champion Cigar bested California invader Soul of the Matter to continue his winning streak which had begun in November of 1994.
For the 1998’s Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm, owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, nosed out Swain for the payoff. In 1999’s Dubai World Cup Silver Charm returned to defend his title and for the first time in history a Kentucky Derby winner faced an Epsom Derby winner, High-Rise. However, the big longshot Almutawakel shocked everyone and gave the home team its second win at the Dubai World Cup.
Finally in 2000 Godolphin sent out Dubai Millennium, so named because they fully expected him to win that year's running. He did not disappoint, beating top U.S. handicap horse Behrens by a widening eight lengths.
|