The Dubai World Cup, one of the most important nights on the world racing calendar, will take place on Saturday, March 25, 2023. This year’s race compensates for its lack of prestige by being one of the richest on the calendar, with a $12 million reward available to connections motivated to fly their star candidates to Meydan Racecourse to compete. Sports betting sites with odds on this event can be found at Arabic-Casinos.org. Punters can look forward to competitive prices for all runners involved in Grade 1 in the UAE.
Event Information & Previous Winners
The Dubai World Cup remains one of the newest races on the international calendar, as it was first run in 1996. Compared to races such as the Kentucky Derby and Epsom Derby, it is not as prestigious, but it does make up for that by offering a huge purse of $12 million. A total distance of ten furlongs (2,000 meters) is covered by the field in this race and is the featured Group 1 on a huge night of racing at Meydan Racecourse.
Horses aged three and older are eligible to compete in the race, and it is run on a dirt surface to entice runners from the United States to compete. Legendary US Hall of Famers, Cigar was the first winner of the race, while Thunder Snow holds the record on the dirt surface after winning the race for the first time in 2018 in a time of 2:01.38.
Thunder Snow is also the only two-time winner of the prestigious race, with Christophe Soumillon riding the Irish-bred runner to victory. Bob Baffert won the race for the second time in 2022 with Country Grammar, ridden by Frankie Dettori.
Dubai World Cup 2023 Contenders
The field for the Dubai World Cup 2023 isn’t yet official, but the betting markets for the Group 1 are already open. Below, you can find out more about some of the most likely contenders that will be lining up in the race in March.
Algiers
Algiers will be a very interesting selection at the top of the betting for the race this year. Trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, the six-year-old will be among the most experienced runners in the field.
He has enjoyed a new lease of life since traveling to the Middle East, as he has already claimed two very impressive victories at Meydan. The latest of those saw him beat Bendoog by a six-length margin to achieve an official rating of 115 in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2.
Taiba
The chief Bob Baffert danger in the race this year is likely to come from the one-time Kentucky Derby favorite- Taiba. After failing to make a previous start when he was two, he burst onto the scene with a fine victory in the G1 Santa Anita Derby.
However, his Derby dreams were effectively ended when finishing eleventh in the showpiece at Churchill Downs. Since then, he landed the G1 Pennsylvania Derby and was a very decent third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic. His latest start saw him finish over four lengths clear of Forbidden Kingdom in the G1 Malibu.
Rich Strike
Eric Reed enjoyed a sensational year in 2022, and Rich Strike’s success was at the heart of it. The runner was the shock 81/1 winner of the Kentucky Derby last May. However, that victory remains his second, and most recent victory in 12 career starts. Since then, he finished fourth to Epicenter in the G1 Travers, second to Hot Rod Charlie in the G2 Lukas Classic and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic behind Flightline.
His last start came in November, where he was extremely disappointing back at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth in the G1 Clark Stakes. However, connections are more than entitled to make a charge for the Dubai World Cup, and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if he was to win this race.
Who Will Win The Dubai World Cup 2023?
Shock results are common in the Dubai World Cup throughout its history, evident 12 months ago by Country Grammer’s win over Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie. Therefore, it could be worth looking further afield for the short-priced selections for the race.
Art Collector looks like a standout runner if he travels to Meydan, as he has won eight from 14 starts. He has already returned to action this year with a sensational effort in the G1 Pegasus World Cup, defeating Defunded by four lengths. With no clear superstar, the Will Mott runner could be the value angle.
You may also like to read
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.