Owners and trainers will have more race options for their horses during the 2014 Dubai World Cup Carnival under recently announced changes to the $37 million program, which begins Jan. 9 and culminates with the $27.25 million Dubai World Cup card on March 29.
Martin Talty, international manager at the Dubai Racing Club, said the changes would further refine and develop the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which spans 11 meetings, at Meydan Racecourse.
The changes include upgrades in purses and status for several conditions races and stakes and are as follows:
- The $1 million Dubai Gold Cup at 3,200 meters (about two miles) on Dubai World Cup day has been upgraded from a group III race to a group II.
- The $175,000 Meydan Sprint at 1,000 meters (about five furlongs) on turf Super Saturday, March 8, has been upgraded from listed status to a group III race.
A trio of conditions races have been upgraded to listed status and will serve as prep races for more lucrative Dubai World Cup Carnival races:
- The Singspiel Stakes at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on turf opening day at the Carnival was boosted to $150,000 and will serve as a stepping stone to the $200,000 Al Rashidiya (UAE-II) at the same distance Jan. 30.;
- The Dubawi Stakes at 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) on the all-weather Jan. 16 also had its purse increased to $150,000. The race is the prep for the $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint (UAE-III), which in turn is a prep for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I) on World Cup day; and
- The Dubai Millennium at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on turf now offers a $200,000 purse and will be run Feb. 20, providing several options toward World Cup Day races, including the two $5 million turf races: the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-I) and the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) as well as the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) on the all-weather track.
Other changes include a cut back in distance from 1,600 meters (about one mile) to 1,400 meters for two stakes: the $250,000 Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-II), a turf race that also was shifted to earlier on the Carnival calendar to Jan. 23; and the $125,000 Meydan Classic, a listed race scheduled for Feb. 27.
