DUBAI: Elite thoroughbreds stepped up preparations at Meydan Racecourse this week ahead of Dubai World Cup night on Saturday, March 28, with Japanese star Forever Young at the center of attention for the 30th running of the meeting. The Group 1 Dubai World Cup, the feature race on the nine-race card, will be run over 2,000 meters on dirt for a purse of $12 million and is scheduled as Race 9 at 20:45 local time, capping one of the richest fixtures on the international racing calendar.
Forever Young heads a field of nine for the Dubai World Cup after returning to Meydan with trainer Yoshito Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai. The five-year-old arrives as the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and a dual Saudi Cup winner, giving the race one of its strongest recent focal points. Defending champion Hit Show is back to try to become only the second horse to win the race twice, while Magnitude has shipped in from the United States and local Group 1 winners Walk Of Stars and Imperial Emperor lead the UAE challenge.
The wider program also brings together leading turf and dirt performers from several major racing jurisdictions. The Longines Dubai Sheema Classic has attracted Calandagan, Rebel’s Romance and Ethical Diamond, while the Dubai Turf includes Ombudsman, Docklands and 2024 winner Facteur Cheval. The sprint races add further depth, with Bentornato and Tuz featuring in the Dubai Golden Shaheen and top-level winners Lazzat and Khaadem entered for the Al Quoz Sprint. The card is scheduled to begin at 15:45 local time, giving Meydan a full afternoon and evening of racing.
International field across marquee races
Beyond the headline event, the undercard reflects the meeting’s established role as a global showcase for thoroughbred racing. The Dubai Gold Cup is set for 16:55, the Dubai Turf for 19:35 and the Sheema Classic for 20:10 before the World Cup closes the program. The Emirates Racing Authority racecards list a safety limit of 16 for the main turf and dirt features, underlining the scale of demand for places on one of the sport’s highest-value stages. Runners from Japan, the United States, Britain, Ireland and the UAE are represented across the major races.
Trackwork reports from Monday showed several of the principal contenders on the Meydan surface as final preparations continued. Forever Young exercised on the dirt alongside stablemate American Stage, while Walk Of Stars and Imperial Emperor also remained in focus after both returned from last year’s World Cup. In the UAE Derby, Brotherly Love is among the notable runners in a race that often shapes the international three-year-old dirt division. The Godolphin Mile has also drawn strong local interest, with Bhupat Seemar represented by a record six runners led by Commissioner King.
Forever Young leads closing buildup
For Forever Young, the Dubai World Cup represents another major international assignment after a season that has already placed him among the sport’s most accomplished dirt runners. Dubai Racing Club has said a victory on Saturday would make him the highest-earning racehorse of all time, adding another layer of significance to a race that already includes the defending winner and multiple established Group 1 performers. His presence has sharpened attention on the meeting at a time when Meydan is again assembling a blend of proven champions, returning contenders and emerging names.
Saturday’s program will again center on the balance between established titleholders and challengers arriving with recent top-level form, a pattern that has long defined the Dubai World Cup meeting. With the World Cup, Sheema Classic, Dubai Turf and Golden Shaheen all drawing high-profile runners, the 30th edition shapes up as a broad test of international quality rather than a one-race showcase. Meydan’s final declarations and Monday’s trackwork have confirmed that the meeting enters race week with its principal contenders in place and its feature events intact – By Content Syndication Services.