With natural disasters and human conflict gripping the headlines, this might be considered an awkward time to focus on horse racing. But actually, there is no better time. “All men are equal above and below the turf,” as the racing adage goes. Throughout history, the grace, speed and beauty of horses have offered hope in times of turmoil and stories of success against impossible odds.
Seabiscuit lifted American spirits near the end of the Great Depression. The famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe race in France rose from the ashes of World War I. And far more recently, the Emirate of Dubai built Meydan, a racecourse whose very name means a coming together in the spirit of competition. Top thoroughbreds from around the globe have converged on Meydan to compete Saturday in annual races that offer the richest prize money in the sport. Their owners range from royalty to heads of state to working-class entrepreneurs. On the turf, all are equal.
Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai, has been heavily involved in horse racing all his life, with extensive strings of thoroughbreds in every racing nation. He came up with the idea of the Dubai World Cup in 1996 as a way to add the Emirates to the list of major horse-racing countries. His theory was that if there was enough money on the table, owners and trainers would bring their horses to race for it. He was right.
That inaugural World Cup was won by an American horse, Cigar; the total purse then was $4 million. Sheik Mohammed has since more than kept up with inflation. On Saturday, 14 runners will be vying for $10 million, with $6 million of that going to the winner. On the undercard are seven more top-class races, bringing the total prize money on offer to just over $26 million. No other single day of racing anywhere offers that much prize money.
For owners, and often trainers, the chance to have a horse good enough to compete on World Cup night is a once-in-a-lifetime event — and the organisers make sure horse connections are treated accordingly. Travelling expenses are paid and the red carpet is down as Sheik Mohammed seizes the opportunity to showcase the best in Arab hospitality.
He throws an “Arabian Nights” desert party that anyone who attends will talk about for years to come. It features copious amounts of food from every corner of the world, and, yes, plenty of alcohol. Camel races, belly dancers, falconry demonstrations and other diversions continue throughout the evening, which finishes off with a fireworks display.
Horses from 13 countries will race on Saturday night this year, but a special focus will be on the Japanese contenders. Racing is hugely popular in Japan, and no meetings have been held since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Japanese horses running in Dubai on Saturday had already left their home country before the tragedy struck there. They include Buena Vista, a 6-year-old mare that was Japan’s 2010 horse of the year. She has earned more than $12 million so far in her career, and a victory on Saturday would make her the richest horse in history.
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She is the only mare in the 14-runner World Cup field, and she will have to beat two of her compatriots, Victoire Pisa and Transcend. Her last brush with Victoire Pisa, in the Arima Kinen on Dec. 26, ended with the colt beating her by a nose. She will have a new jockey this time around in the person of Ryan Moore, as Christophe Soumillon, who partnered her in defeat by Victoire Pisa, will ride Musir for the South African trainer Mike de Kock.
The top French jockey Olivier Peslier, who rode Buena Vista to second place last year in the Dubai Sheema Classic, said he would be rooting for the mare even though he is not on board this year. “The trainer said he thought Ryan Moore would be lucky,” said Peslier, who will ride on the undercard but has no mount in the big race this year. “I’d just like to see the Japanese horses run well,” he added. “The country could use a morale boost.”
There are no official odds coming out of Dubai because betting is illegal in the United Arab Emirates. But the races there generate plenty of betting activity offshore and online.