USA's Magnitude emerges as 30th Dubai World Cup champion, claims $12 million prize

   It’s a true honour for me to ride for Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed (bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai). Dubai World Cup night is the biggest night in horse racing, so to represent (Sheikh Mohammed) on his best horses and to win is really a dream come true.

   He’s been doing very well at home, and it makes my job easy, jumping on him and steering him around. But there’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and I have to give a massive thank you to the team for this. Earlier in the season, he hit his head pretty badly, which affected his confidence. We took the headgear off and tried him on turf, just experimenting to help him regain that confidence. He’s a top-quality horse, and it’s great to see him back performing at the highest level.”

   He’s a bundle of speed. When I first sat on him (Native Approach) at the start of the season, I told the boss (Ahmed bin Harmash), that he feels like a sprinter. Eissa Al Baloushi, who rides him every morning, does a phenomenal job, as do the rest of the team at the yard. It’s a great team to be part of. I have a lot of people to thank, but if I did, I’d be here all night.

Conor Beasley

   It’s fantastic. We ran her in the Balanchine here (super Saturday), which was a bit short for her at 1,900m. Since that race, she’s really blossomed and done very well. She had never run over two miles before, so we were a little sceptical about whether she would stay the extra distance, but she’s handled it really well. I thought Mickael Barzalona gave her a very sensible ride.

Ed Crisford, trainer

   My horse was coming back in trip; he’s a proper miler, so this suited him perfectly. I rode the race the way he wanted to be ridden, and he responded really well under pressure. I was happy to follow Commissioner King with Mendelssohn Bay on my inside, took a safe option, and it worked out perfectly.

Silvestre de Sousa

   I was reasonably confident coming into the race, especially after Falaah’s performance on Super Saturday. I have to admit, I was a little concerned with the wide draw from Gate 15, but my horse wasn’t! He’s a very special horse, and this is a special moment for me and for all of Omani racing.

Al Moatasem Al Balushi

   The $30.5-million raceday is now beamed into homes, phones, and even aircraft cabins across 170 countries, a transformation I’ve had the privilege to witness from the inside for more than two decades.

Seb Vance, director of communications & international TV distribution at Racecourse Media Group

   I am looking for elegance.The contestants should have a well put together outfit and most importantly they should be enjoying themselves. We have had a difficult month and it is great to see everyone dressed up and looking good.

Evelyn McDermott