Long shots rewrite the Dubai World Cup script at Meydan

Under the bright lights of Meydan Racecourse and before a capacity crowd exceeding 60,000, the 29th Dubai World Cup unfolded not as a coronation for the fancied horses but as a sobering reminder of how unpredictable top-level sport can be.

In a single evening, favourites fell like chess kings being cornered by pawns, reputations were updated, and new heroes were immortalised into global racing consciousness.

The $12 million feature race brought the curtain down on a memorable night with a result few would have predicted.

Hit Show, a five-year-old American colt trained by Eclipse award-winning handler Brad H. Cox and ridden by Kentucky-based French rider Florent Geroux, delivered a performance of tactical boldness and stamina to win the Dubai World Cup at odds of 80/1. He was expected to be a participant, nothing more. Instead, he led a reshuffling of the world’s pecking order in dirt racing.

The much-vaunted Japanese contender Forever Young backed into 4/9 favouritism, could not muster a meaningful response in the final 400 metres after looming large at the top of the stretch, which was less an indictment of the colt’s ability than a demonstration of the residual toll exacted by his energy-sapping Saudi Cup victory four weeks earlier. His third-place finish behind Hit Show and fellow American Mixto underscored the punishing demands of international competition at this level.

Geroux, who rode Hit Show with quiet calculation rather than fireworks, admitted post-race that his initial ambition was simply to hit the board. “I was aiming for a place. But he kept finding more. It’s rare, that kind of determination.”

It was a defining moment not just for the horse, but for Wathnan Racing of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, who were making their Dubai World Cup debut. Their arrival on the international racing stage could not have been more emphatic.

As for Walk of Stars, the UAE’s chief hope in the World Cup itself, a strong gate draw and a smart ride by French ace Mickael Barzalona saw him run with credit. His fourth-place finish — just behind three battle-hardened international raiders — was a result of professionalism, not flair. “He did everything right,” said trainer Bhupat Seemar. “No excuses. That’s the level we’re playing at now.”

Across the undercard, a consistent theme emerged: local and regional stables, often overshadowed in these global gatherings, refused to play supporting roles.

Doug Watson, a long-established name in UAE racing and multiple-time champion trained, opened the evening by turning over the much-feared Saudi challengers in the $1m Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1) with First Class, a result that instantly determined the narrative for the evening.

In the $2m Golden Shaheen Sprint, Ahmed bin Harmash – who purchased Dark Saffron for $120,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, saw his new stable star make history when he was ridden heroically by Conor Beasley to become the first three-year-old to win marquee sprint contest.

Japanese runners, typically formidable in international festivals like the Dubai World Cup, found plenty of success — though not always where expected.

Lesser popular Admire Daytona disrupted a strong bunch of three-year-olds in the UAE Derby, securing a potential ticket to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and reminding observers that the road to Louisville can start in Dubai.

The withdrawal of Japanese standout Liberty Island left a vacuum in the turf races, but fellow Japanese galloper Danon Decile filled the gap with a composed win in the $6m Dubai Sheema Classic (G1)

The most dramatic of Japan’s three victories came in the $5m Dubai Turf (G1), where Soul Rush dismantled a field led by Hong Kong’s 10-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior, a horse previously considered near-invincible at this distance, to win by the proverbial nose.

Local challenger Maljoom representing championship-bound Australian handler Michael Costa’s Jebel Ali yard, ran a blinder to finish a creditable third.

The comeback of the night belonged to Emirati handler Saeed bin Suroor, who returned to prominence with Dubai Future in the $1m Dubai Gold Cup. The Godolphin veteran, a dominant force in the Dubai World Cup with an unparalleled nine victories, reminded racing of his enduring relevance.

Dubai Future, a nine-year-old son of top Darley sire Dubawi, has been beset with injuries time after time forcing him to miss a huge chunk of his career. Having returned this season following a 427-day layoff to win the Nad Al Sheba Trophy at the Carnival, Dubai Honour stepped up to two miles for the first time and ran with authority, vindicating Bin Suroor’s patient approach and masterly training skills.

“It is not easy for any horse to be sound their whole life, and he had a few setbacks, although they were nothing major,” said Bin Suroor.”It took a while but thank God he has come back. Now we will take him to France next month for the G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier.”

Dubai Honour was ridden by former British champion jockey Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa who 12 years ago teamed up with Bin Suroor to win the Gold Cup with Cavalryman.

If the evening confirmed anything, it is that racing at this tier tolerates no complacency. Favourites are good for media headlines, but they win nothing on paper. Horses considered outmatched in form took their chance and exposed the fragility of pre-race assumptions.

There is no strightforward script in this sport, and the 2025 Dubai World Cup affirmed that with every unexpected result. It was a night not about predictability, but about every possibility — where preparation, opportunity, and perhaps just a touch of good fortune, united to restructure the flat-racing landscape.