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A night of racing glory awaits as legends set to emerge at Meydan
With a $12 million purse on the line, 11 elite thoroughbreds will battle for supremacy in one of horse racing’s most prestigious Group 1 events
- PUBLISHED: Thu 3 Apr 2025, 8:41 PM
The stage is set for one of the biggest spectacles in international horse racing — the 2025 Dubai World Cup, a top-tier Group 1 contest where some of the world’s best thoroughbreds will compete under the lights of Meydan.
With a staggering $12 million purse on the line, 11 world-class thoroughbreds will battle it out on the 2,000-metre dirt track, each vying to immortalise their name in the annals of racing history.
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Since its inception in 1996 — when the great Cigar stormed to victory in a spine-tingling duel with Soul of the Matter — the Dubai World Cup has been a stage for legends. Arrogate’s jaw-dropping comeback, Thunder Snow’s historic double, and last year’s Laurel River domination have cemented this race as a coliseum of champions.
By Saturday at 9:35 pm, a new champion will emerge and another chapter will be added to the storied history of Dubai racing.
One of the key contenders is Bhupat Seemar’s championship-winning Zabeel Stables, which fields two strong runners — Imperial Emperor and Walk of Stars — trained in the heart of Nad Al Sheba as the UAE’s reigning champion trainer seeks to add another glittering jewel to his crown.
Walk Of Stars, a front-running powerhouse, has already left his rivals in the dust this season, while Imperial Emperor’s late-charging style brings an unpredictable edge to the mix. Both horses will have the services of two of the sport’s finest riders — 12-time UAE champion Tadhg O’Shea and French maestro Mickael Barzalona, both of whom know every twist and turn of the Meydan dirt like the back of their hands.
Seemar expressed confidence in their starting spots: "Walk of Stars (Gate 1) has a lot of gate speed and will likely use the inside gate to his advantage, while Imperial Emperor (10) is an uncomplicated push-button horse - he’s won from wide draws before, so his position is not a concern. You can put him anywhere in the gate.”
However, standing in their way is the ferocious Japanese juggernaut — Forever Young — who arrives fresh off a dominant Saudi Cup victory. Trained by the masterful Yoshito Yahagi, a multiple-time JRA Trainer of the Year, the four-year-old has proven his class on the toughest circuits, and his jockey, Ryusei Sakai, is hungry to turn near-misses into glory. Breaking from stall five, Forever Young will renew his rivalry with the defending Dubai World Cup champion, Ushba Tesoro, who seeks to join Godolphin’s Thunder Snow as only the second horse in history to claim two titles.
Japan’s presence in this year’s race is nothing short of formidable. Alongside Forever Young and Ushba Tesoro, Wilson Tesoro and Ramjet add further firepower, ensuring the nation’s quest for another Meydan triumph is well-armed.
Yahagi, who told Khaleej Times that Forever Young is the best horse he has trained in his illustrious career, described his stable star as a horse with a ‘winning mentality.’
“He wants to win every time he comes to the racecourse. He has such a positive mind. He’s a happy horse and is a bundle of energy,” he said. “It’s not difficult to keep him fit and healthy, he’s just a naturally healthy horse.”
Commenting on what it would mean to win the Dubai World Cup to add to Forever Young’s two other monumental victories in the 2023 UAE Derby and recent Saudi Cup, Yahagi said: “The Dubai World Cup is more than a race — it’s a legacy. It’s where champions rise, where history is made. I want to be part of that history.”
American-trained horses have long had a strong presence in the Dubai World Cup, and this year, Rattle N Roll, Mixto, Hit Show, Katonah, and Il Miracolo bid to demonstrate the country’s significant impact of American-trained horses in the history of the race where American-trained horses have won no less than 13 times.
Rattle N Roll is hoping to become the first US winner of the race since Country Grammer in 2022, and his trainer Kenny McPeek noted of his Post Position in Gate 2: “It’s a good post. There’s a long stretch to the first turn, so he’ll have time to settle and save ground.”
Meanwhile, Il Miracolo will break from post 6, a spot his trainer, Antonio Sano of Venezuela, is happy with. “I preferred a middle post — not too far inside or outside,” he said. Owner Eduardo Soto echoed his confidence, adding, “He’s a natural competitor, and there’s no better place for him to be.”
Trainer Doug O'Neill, who sent out Hot Rod Charlie to finish second to Country Grammer in 2022, was also happy with Katonah breaking from post 11, calling it “the perfect post,” while his other horse, Mixto (will start from post 8, a slightly less ideal position, according to assistant Leandro Mora, who had hoped for posts 4 or 5.
As starter Shayne Ryan sends them on their way, fans across 170 countries worldwide will hold their breath. Hearts will race, and in just around two pulsating minutes, one superstar will surge into the history books. The 2025 Dubai World Cup is poised to crown its next champion.