Three races in the 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival programme have been upgraded, adding thunder to an already exceptional international racing calendar at Meydan Racecourse.
Vazirabad (FR) winner of the Dubai Gold Cup, was a star visitor at Meydan Racecourse during the 2017 Dubai World Cup Carnival boasting a startling record of 12 wins from 17 career starts on turf (Pic – DRC and Mathea Kelley)
The DWCC gets underway on Thursday January 11, 2018 and features 10 meetings prior to the season finale, the Dubai World Cup day scheduled for March 31 2018.
Among the three races that have been upgraded is the 1800m Singspiel Stakes run over the same distance as Dubai Turf on World Cup Day which was won in 2017 by the Mike De Kock trained Light The Lights under Christopher Soumillon, and has gone from being a Listed race to a Group 3 contest.
The promotion for Singspiel Stakes to a Group 3 race, means the opening night of the 2018 Carnival program features two Group Races, including the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1.
The 1200m Dubawi Stakes also moves up from Listed to Group 3 status, won in 2017 by veteran star Reynaldothewizard who entered the record books with his third consecutive win of the race.
The Dubawi Stakes is a build-up races for this trip, along with the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday prior to the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup day.
And finally a change (relevant to trainers opting for the 1000m dash) to the Group 3 Meydan Sprint which is the finale for the five-furlong campaign during the season, has been promoted to a Group 2 race effectively raising the bar for the turf sprinters.
Star sprinter Ertijaal who won the Meydan Sprint in 2017 concluded his season with a gallant performance in the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup day to finish third behind French raider, The Right Man.
In other changes, the Meydan Classic, a listed turf race for 3YOs sees an increase in distance from 1400m to 1600m.
In all the Dubai World Cup Carnival 10 fixture programme consists of 65 total races. With a total purse of $10,870,000. 61 thoroughbred races which feature 2 Group 1, 9 Group 2, 10 Group 3 and 4 Listed races, with the addition of 4 Group Purebred Arabian races.
Malih Lahej Al Basti, Vice Chairman, Meydan Group said: “We are proud of the exceptional quality of entries we receive each year at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, and we are constantly seeking ways to further enhance our offering. With the upgrade of three black type races this season we believe this will appeal to trainers and owners.
“We look forward to the fabulous spectacle at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, when a number of the world’s best horses compete for some of the highest prize money in the business on Meydan’s world stage.”
Dubai World Cup Carnival stable applications close this season on Saturday November 11, 2017. The Meydan-developed Dubai World Cup Carnival online horse nominations process launched in 2016 will be continued into the 2018 season.
