Dubai World Cup

Sixteen straight wins, four million dollars, one night in the desert. Cigar made history feel inevitable.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision became reality on 27 March 1996, when the first Dubai World Cup was staged at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. The race carried a purse of $4 million, making it the richest horse race in the world overnight. American champion Cigar, ridden by Jerry Bailey and trained by Bill Mott, won by half a length to extend his legendary winning streak to 16 consecutive victories. The inaugural occasion drew international runners from the United States, Europe, and Asia, immediately establishing Dubai as a serious destination for flat racing at the highest level.

Six lengths clear, six million dollars on the table; Dubai Millennium made both look modest.

Sheikh Mohammed's homebred Dubai Millennium, ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, produced one of the most dominant performances in the race's history. He destroyed a strong international field by six lengths, a margin that still stands among the widest winning distances in the race. The prize fund had risen to $6 million. Tragically, Dubai Millennium was struck down by grass sickness and died in April 2001 at just five years old. He remains one of the most celebrated horses in Godolphin's history.

Dettori and Godolphin inherited victory after the stewards removed Brass Hat; the podium felt anything but celebratory.

The 2006 Dubai World Cup was overshadowed by the fatal breakdown of the brilliant mare Invasor's stablemate, and the disqualification of initial winner Brass Hat. Electrocutionist, ridden by Frankie Dettori for Godolphin, was promoted to first. It was a sombre reminder of the risks inherent in the sport, even at its most glamorous.

A grandstand stretching a full kilometre; Meydan did not merely replace Nad Al Sheba, it rendered the old track obsolete.

After 14 years at Nad Al Sheba, the Dubai World Cup moved to the purpose-built Meydan Racecourse. The new venue was staggering in scale: a grandstand stretching over a kilometre in length, seating for 60,000 spectators, a five-star hotel built into the structure, and a giant screen visible from every seat. Gloria de Campeao won the first Dubai World Cup held at Meydan. The move to Meydan cemented the occasion's status as the most lavish night in world racing. Nad Al Sheba was subsequently demolished.

A 24-1 outsider and a $10 million purse; African Story rewrote the form book in the most expensive race on earth.

The Dubai World Cup purse was increased to $10 million, reinforcing its position as the world's richest race. Godolphin's African Story, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, won at odds of 24-1, one of the biggest upsets in the race's history.

Thunder Snow did what no horse before him had managed: win the Dubai World Cup twice in a row.

Godolphin's Thunder Snow, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, won the 2018 Dubai World Cup. He would return in 2019 to win again, becoming the first horse in the race's history to win the race in consecutive years. It was a remarkable feat given the international quality of the fields.

Twenty-four years without a break, then silence; not a single horse ran in March 2020.

For the first time in its 24-year history, the Dubai World Cup was cancelled entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was announced just days before the scheduled race date of 28 March 2020. No race was held and no winner was declared. It was a stark interruption to an occasion that had run without a break since 1996.

Twelve million reasons to fly your colours from Tokyo to the Gulf.

Japanese-trained Ushba Tesoro won the 2023 Dubai World Cup under Yuga Kawada, marking a growing Asian influence on the race. The purse had been raised to $12 million, and the total prize money across Dubai World Cup Night exceeded $27 million, making it comfortably the richest single day of thoroughbred racing anywhere in the world.

Nine races, a global audience, and one man's ambition quietly reshaped an entire sport.

Nearly three decades after Cigar galloped to victory at Nad Al Sheba, the Dubai World Cup continues to draw the finest thoroughbreds from every major racing nation. The meeting has evolved from a single headline race into a full evening of world-class competition, with nine races across the card and a global television audience. What began as one man's ambition to put Dubai on the racing map has become the sport's most anticipated night.