The £23 million Dubai World Cup is set to proceed as planned on Saturday despite a backdrop of missile and drone attacks and a dramatic storm that has hit the region. Racing at Meydan racecourse will feature three of the world's four best horses, as the UAE continues to face daily attacks from Iran in response to US and Israeli bombing.
Local authorities report that air defence systems have intercepted 372 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,826 drones since the conflict began. Heavy rainstorms have also caused localised flooding, with 58mm of rain falling on the track overnight, forcing training to be cancelled on Friday. The turf course is described as good to soft, but the weather is expected to be fine and sunny for the main event.
The card will attract 101 horses from 16 countries, climaxing with the 30th running of the £9m Dubai World Cup. Among the contenders is Ombudsman, the best British Flat horse of 2025, who represents Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin team in the Dubai Turf. He returns 161 days after being defeated by Calandagan in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, with Calandagan set to contest the Sheema Classic later on the same card.
Trainer John Gosden, a three-time winner of the Turf with Lord North, said: "This has been the plan since last October. He had a little away day at Chelmsford and we are happy with him. He's trained nicely. The normal plan would be to run here then wait for Royal Ascot, the Prince of Wales." Calandagan's trainer Francis-Henri Graffard added: "There has been a lot of rain and I don't think that will bother Calandagan, though I don't expect it will become really deep ground like we have in Europe."
Calandagan faces Willie Mullins's Breeders' Cup Turf winner Ethical Diamond and Giavellotto, making his fourth Dubai appearance for Marco Botti. Mullins commented: "He's had the longest break of any of the horses in the field without a run but I had always wanted to give him a break after America. It's the start of a long year for him but we've tried to get him as fit as we can." The hot favourite for the Dubai World Cup is Japanese globetrotter Forever Young, who would push his career earnings past £28 million with victory.
