Dubai World Cup

Saeed bin Suroor has trained nine Dubai World Cup winners, more than any other trainer. His first success came in 1999, and a year later Dubai Millennium won in a race-record 1:59.50 at Nad Al Sheba. Thunder Snow gave him his ninth in 2019, beating Gronkowski by a nose to become the first horse to win the race twice. Godolphin, for whom he trains, also holds the owners' record with nine wins, the latest in 2021.

4Dubai World
Cup wins

Dettori shares the jockeys' record

Frankie Dettori shares the Dubai World Cup riding record with Jerry Bailey on four wins each. Dettori won on Dubai Millennium in 2000, Moon Ballad in 2003 and Electrocutionist in 2006, all at Nad Al Sheba. His fourth came 16 years later at Meydan in 2022, when the Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer surged clear in the straight. Bailey's four began on Cigar in the first running in 1996, then 1997, 2001 and 2002.

8½Lengths
winning margin

The widest margin in Dubai World Cup history

Laurel River holds the record for the widest winning margin in the Dubai World Cup. In 2024 he beat defending champion Ushba Tesoro by 8½ lengths at Meydan, breaking the six-length mark set by Dubai Millennium at Nad Al Sheba in 2000. Ridden by Tadhg O'Shea for Dubai-based trainer Bhupat Seemar, he broke from the outside stall. Owned by Juddmonte, he had previously been trained by Bob Baffert in the US.

Stories of the 2026 Winners

Al Quoz Sprint

Native Approach

Native Approach was an outsider, returned at decimal odds of 29. The winning margin over Lugal was a neck. The field numbered 11 runners. The horse is by Too Darn Hot out of Sperry. The winning time was 1m 10.02s.

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Dubai Golden Shaheen

Dark Saffron

Dark Saffron defended the title he won in 2025. The horse was an outsider, returned at decimal odds of 13. The field numbered 12 runners. The win was worth USD 1,144,200 to the winner. The winning time was 1m 12.41s.

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Dubai Sheema Classic

Calandagan

In 2025, Calandagan had finished second here behind Danon Decile. The field numbered 6 runners. The horse is by Gleneagles out of Calayana. The win was worth USD 3,432,600 to the winner. The winning time was 2m 27.88s.

Dubai Turf

Ombudsman

Former winner Facteur Cheval (2024) was among the beaten runners, finishing seventh. The winning margin over Quddwah was 1 ¾ lengths. The horse is by Night Of Thunder out of Syndicate. The winning time was 1m 47.46s.

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Dubai World Cup

Back after eighteen years

Magnitude brought Steve Asmussen back to the Dubai World Cup winner’s enclosure 18 years after Curlin’s 2008 win. Gun Runner had been second for him in 2017; Magnitude held off Forever Young by less than a length.