The Dubai Turf, known as Dubai Duty Free 1996 to 2014. is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night in March.[1]

Dubai Turf
Group One race
LocationMeydan Racecourse
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Inaugurated1996
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
WebsiteDubai World Cup
Race information
Distance1,800 metres
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationNorthern Hemisphere 4yo+ & Southern Hemisphere 3yo+
WeightSH 3yo: 54.5kg.
NH & SH 4yo+: 57kg. Allowance fillies and mares 2kg
PurseUS$6 million

It was first run in 1996 on dirt, with a distance of 2,000 metres (1 mile 2 furlongs). It was transferred to turf, and a distance of 1,777 metres, in 2000. The race attained Group 1 status in 2002. The name of the race is taken from its sponsors, Dubai Duty Free. Between 1996 and 2009 it was run at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Since 2010 it has been run in Meydan, where it is run at 1,800 metres.

In 2006, the race became the second leg of the four race Asian Mile Challenge.

The race currently offers a purse of US$5 million, which places it and the Dubai Sheema Classic among the richest races on turf in the world.[2][3]

From 2015, DP World Signs sponsorship with Meydan Group, the race name renamed to Dubai Turf.[4]

Records

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Speed record: (at current distance of 1,800 metres and Meydan Racecourse)

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
1996 Key of Luck 5 Gary Stevens Kiaran McLaughlin Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum 2:03.77
1997 Tamayaz 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 2:02.20
1998 Annus Mirabilis 6 Gary Stevens Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 2:04.32
1999 Altibr 4 Richard Hills Saeed bin Suroor Hamdan Al Maktoum 2:00.79
2000 Rhythm Band 4 Ted Durcan Saeed bin Suroor Rashid Al Maktoum 1:48.60
2001 Jim And Tonic 7 Gerald Mosse François Doumen John D. Martin & Roger Barby 1:47.83
2002 Terre a Terre 5 Christophe Soumillon Eric Libaud Mmes H. Devin & B. Ashbrooke 1:48.75
2003 Ipi Tombe 4 Kevin Shea Mike de Kock Team Valor et al. 1:47.61
2004 Right Approach (dh)
Paolini (dh)
5
7
Weichong Marwing
Eduard Pedroza
Mike de Kock
Andreas Wöhler
Bernard Kantor et al.
Carde Ostermann-Richter
1:49.36
2005 Elvstroem 5 Nash Rawiller Tony Vasil Elvstroem Syndicate 1:50.54
2006 David Junior 4 Jamie Spencer Brian J. Meehan Roldvale Ltd & Gold Group Int'l 1:49.65
2007 Admire Moon 4 Yutaka Take Hiroyoshi Matsuda Riichi Kondo 1:47.94
2008 Jay Peg 5 Anton Marcus Herman Brown M. Shirtliff et al. 1:46:20
2009 Gladiatorus 4 Ahmed Ajtebi Mubarak bin Shafya Mansoor Al Maktoum 1:46.92
2010 Al Shemali 6 Royston Ffrench Ali Rashid Al Raihe Mansoor Al Maktoum 1:50.84
2011 Presvis 7 Ryan Moore Luca Cumani Leonidas Marinopoulous 1:50.21
2012 Cityscape 6 James Doyle Roger Charlton Khalid Abdullah 1:48.65
2013 Sajjhaa 6 Silvestre de Sousa Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 1:47.93
2014 Just A Way 5 Yuichi Fukunaga Naosuke Sugai Akatsuki Yamatoya 1:45.52
2015 Solow 5 Maxime Guyon Freddy Head Wertheimer et Frère 1:47.76
2016 Real Steel 4 Ryan Moore Yoshito Yahagi Sunday Racing Co Ltd 1:47.13
2017 Vivlos 4 João Moreira Yasuo Tomomichi Kazuhiro Sasaki 1:50.20
2018 Benbatl 4 Oisin Murphy Saeed Bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 1:46.08
2019 Almond Eye 4 Christophe Lemaire Sakae Kunieda Silk Racing 1:46.78
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Lord North 5 Frankie Dettori John Gosden Zayed bin Mohammed 1:46.46
2022 Lord North (dh)
Panthalassa (dh)
6
5
Frankie Dettori
Yutaka Yoshida
John & Thady Gosden
Yoshito Yahagi
Zayed bin Mohammed
Hiroo Race Co Ltd
1:45.77
2023 Lord North 7 Frankie Dettori John & Thady Gosden Zayed bin Mohammed 1:47.39
2024 Facteur Cheval 5 Maxime Guyon Jerome Reynier Team Valor International, Gary Barber 1:45.91

Incidents

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  • 2024: Catnip (USA) broke down in the final furlong and had to be euthanized on the track. Jockey Christophe Lemaire was hospitalized.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dubai Turf | Past Winners | Results | United Arab Emirates". www.racingandsports.com.au. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  2. ^ "In pictures: The Dubai World Cup, one of the richest events in horse racing". CNN. 2 April 2024.
  3. ^ Freeman, Ben (4 April 2020). "Dubai's Big Prize. The World's Richest Horse Race is the Dubai World Cup". Beau Monde Traveler.
  4. ^ Emmet, James (16 January 2015). "DP World signs five-year racing deal". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Facteur Cheval hangs on for upset in Dubai Turf". www.drf.com. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
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