The Dubai Racing Club this week announced a major increase in prize money for the Dubai World Cup meeting, further underlining it as the world's richest day of horse racing.
The Dubai Duty Free (Group One, 1,777m) and the Dubai Sheema Classic (Group One, 2,400m), will now be worth a total of US$5 million each, with a first prize of US$3 million. This makes them equal with the Japan Cup as the world's richest races on grass.
The Dubai World Cup meeting to be staged at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Saturday, March 25, 2006, now boasts total prize money of US$21.25 million.
Dubai Racing Club chairman Saeed Al-Tayer said: 'We are excited to announce an increase in prize money for the Dubai World Cup meeting. The Dubai Duty Free and the Dubai Sheema Classic are recognised as important international races in their own right and thus justify this large increase in prize money.'
Last year's Dubai Duty Free was won by the Australian galloper Elvstroem, who then journeyed to Hong Kong but disappointed in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, won by Vengeance Of Rain.
Polished Frenchman Gerald Mosse never gets too excited about his Hong Kong moniker as 'King of Class Five' but his new retaining trainer, Sean Woods, may soon be sharing the title.
Woods landed the Class Five at Happy Valley last Wednesday night with new stable recruit Premier Cru and was at it again yesterday, this time with First Knight for the same owners, the Eighth Floor Syndicate.
