The 2019 Cheltenham Festival is done and dusted. The next big racing event to look forward to is the Dubai World Cup from Meydan on March 30th. The start time is 5.50 pm and it can be watched on At The Races.
This is one of the world’s great races and it is a flat thoroughbred affair. This has now been going since back in 1996 and the Dubai World Cup itself is a feature of the immensely popular Dubai World Cup Night of races.
The Meydan racecourse is as spectacular as it is grand. The prize purse on the Dubai World Cup is a cool US$12 million. Not too bad for a few minutes of work. It briefly lost its crown as being the richest race in the world to America’s Pegasus World Cup last year. However, the prize purse was cut in half for the 2019 Pegasus edition, so the Dubai World Cup is back as being the richest.
2018 Review
Irish challenger Thunder Snow is a well-travelled horse. His win at the Dubai World Cup last year saw him quash all sceptics. He had lined up for a shot at the 2017 Kentucky Derby and after some good canter work, come race day he came awkwardly out of his stall. He then started bucking and kicking, and couldn’t even get a furlong done before he was pulled up. That threw a huge shadow over him, and he didn’t deliver on his return to Europe.
But coming back as a four-year-old he spent the winter of 2017 back in Dubai. It all came right for him. Last year’s Dubai World Cup had a strong line up with West Coast, Gunnevera and Forever Unbridled there. North America who had beaten Thunder Snow in the second leg of the Al Maktoum Challenge was lined up too. Thunder Snow ran a perfect race from out wide, getting to the front early and dictating the pace before being unleashed.
2019 Dubai World Cup Preview
Thunder Snow will be back at Meydan this year to launch a title defence. That will create a bit of history if he manages to do it. No runner has managed to get back to back successes in the World Cup. In fact, no horse has ever won the Dubai World Cup more than once.
The Godolphin stables though have produced seven wins, all since 2000 and they are looking for Thunder Snow to deliver again, this time from a mark of 7/2 favouritism with leading bookmakers.
He has been out at Meydan once this year, his only run of 2019 actually, in the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge in which he was beaten by almost ten lengths by Capezzano. Considering that his old foe North America had taken a pass on the race, Thunder Snow missed the boat a bit.
In his build-up to last year’s success, he had taken a second in that respective race, which was after a second in the first round and the win in the second round. So he had stronger form behind him heading into last year’s Dubai World Cup.
Capezzano and North America
The winning show from Capezzano in that Meydan clash on Super Saturday in early March continued some hot form that he has had. That is a big turnaround considering that he had finished second in that respective race last season. He has won all three outings at Meydan in this calendar year. He didn’t go to the Dubai World Cup last year, instead took on the Godolphin Mile. It is going to be massive interestingly to see how he, with his Meydan record, goes as a 6/1 contender in the Dubai World Cup.
North America should be back for a run at 4/1 odds with leading bookmakers. There doesn’t appear to be anything up with his form. He took wins in the first two legs of the Al Maktoum Challenge this season, making it three wins from his last four runs at the course. He was supposed to be there in the mix at least year’s Gold Cup however where he had a horrendous start and never got into the race, finishing last. If he gets past that first block then he’s every chance of fulfilling his potential.
Others hoping for a shot at glory
Seeking The Soul went to the Pegasus World Cup in January and took a fantastic second place. On the back of that could be lining up a shot at the Dubai World Cup. This is a wonderful 6-year-old charge who has been around the big meets in the world already, like the Louisiana Stakes, the Pegasus World Cup and the Breeders Cup.
In the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge this year, both Kimbear and Muntazah went well. Going back to the Godolphin threat, Gold Town could be interesting entry after a good fourth at the UAE Derby. He stormed the field at the UAE 2000 Guineas twelve months ago. With that UAE Derby his first run of the campaign, if he hits his stride at the Dubai World Cup 2019 he could find himself in the picture.
Top 5 Dubai World Cup Trends
- There have been two Irish and two US winners in the last four editions of the Dubai World Cup.
- The last two Dubai World Cup winners have both been four-year-olds.
- Trainer Saeed bin Suroor had trained three of the last five winners.
- Godolphin stables have won three of the last seven renewals.
- The oldest ever winner was 2015 champion Prince Bishop at 8 years old.
Declarations
The Final Declarations will be so interesting to see who exactly is in the picture. That will happen on Monday, March 25th. However, the big contenders mentioned above are all likely to be fully in the frame. Will Thunder Snow be able to create a golden piece of history. Will North America shake off his flub last season? So many wonderful questions to be answered on the dirt at Meydan.
