Dubai – The 28th edition of the Dubai World Cup for Horses kicked off on Saturday at the Meydan Racecourse, in an event classified as among the most important in the world, according to the Emirates News Agency, WAM.
Competition is expected to be fierce in the nine rounds to win the $30.5 million prizes, which makes the Dubai World Cup among the most expensive and strongest in the world.
The best international horses from 14 countries will compete in the nine races on sand and grass, over distances extending from 1,200 to 3,200 metres.
Rashid bin Dalmuk Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Racing Club, said: “We feel great enthusiasm for the Dubai World Cup 2024 evening as part of the 28th edition of this giant event, as horses from 14 countries compete in the nine races during the evening, which attracted global media attention.”
He added: “We received more than 400 requests for media coverage, which indicates the great value of the event among racing fans around the world,” according to WAM.
The competition organizing committee allocated approximately 400,000 dirhams (about 109,000 dollars) in prizes for public nominations, and 200,000 dirhams (about 54.4 thousand dollars) for Steel Stakes competitions, and other prizes for the most beautiful smile, the best-looking horse, a car for the lucky person, and other prizes.
While the horse owners share $30.5 million, with incentive bonuses for the carnival horses with a total value of up to $4 million, according to the Emirati agency.
The first half began at 3:30 pm (11:30 GMT), and it was the Dubai Kahaila Classic (Class 1) sponsored by “One Zabeel” for purebred Arabian horses, for a distance of one and a quarter miles (sand).
The horse Baraka is looking forward to taking a step forward in the absence of the defending champion, the horse Hayyan.
Viewers in 150 countries will be able to follow the event live on 40 television networks broadcasting the Dubai World Cup 2024 evening.
The organizers promised the fans “a closing ceremony the likes of which they have never witnessed before, where the latest drone aircraft will be used, and laser and lighting technologies will be employed to redefine the boundaries of the visual scene.”
4,000 specialized drones will participate in presenting unique pyrotechnic shows using LED lighting technologies, as part of an impressive flying experience, according to WAM.
The Dubai World Cup was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE, in 1996, and “embodies a vision of creating a strong platform for the highest levels of quality in racing, both in the region and around the world.”
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2024-03-31 03:33:17