Dubai World Cup Purse to Remain at $12M; Undercard Cut
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Photo: Dubai Racing Club/Mathea Kelley
Thunder Snow (outside) defeats Gronkowski to win the 2019 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse
The purse for the March 27 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) has been retained at US$12 million, but purses for the remaining eight races on the undercard have been reduced, the Dubai Racing Club announced Dec. 26.
Cumulatively, $8.5 million has been cut from the undercard races. The Dubai Racing Club cited challenging events from the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the reduction, but said it has made every effort to ensure the return of racing in safe and secure conditions.
The Dubai World Cup was upped to $12 million from $10 million in 2019, with the day's total purses increased to $35 million from $30 million. The 2020 card was canceled six days out due to COVID-19 concerns.
The 2021 purse structure in all races on Dubai World Cup night has also been modified to allow payment all the way down to eighth place. Purses were previously paid out through sixth.
The Dubai World Cup, contested over 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on dirt since 1996, has been won by horses trained in France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is held on the final Saturday of March each year. The card also features six group 1 races and three group 2 races at Meydan. Last year, 1,774 nominations were accepted from 902 horses trained in 21 counties.
The deadline for free nominations to the 25th running of the Dubai World Cup has been extended until Jan. 20.
A brochure with further details regarding nominations of horses to Dubai World Cup day will be released shortly, meanwhile this link may be used for nominations.
The first supplementary stage for all races on Dubai World Cup day will close Feb. 10, when connections can nominate their horse for 0.1% of the prize money of their chosen race. The second supplementary stage is March 8, when horses can be supplemented for 1% of the prize money. The third and final supplementary stage takes place March 21, when horses can be supplemented into the race for 10% of the prize money. Entry/declaration will take place March 22.
All races are being contested and regulated in a standard fashion and results are being recorded in an official capacity. In line with the UAE government regulations, Dubai Racing Club is following strict health and safety measures, including full sanitization, thermal screening of attendees, and social distancing.
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2021 Dubai World Cup Day Prize Money Structure
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| Purse | Race | Grade | Distance | Surface | Previous Purse |
| $750,000 | Dubai Kahayla Classic Sponsored by Mubadala* | 1 | 2,000 meters | Dirt | $1.5 million |
| $750,000 | Godolphin Mile | 2 | 1,600 meters | Dirt | $1.5 million |
| $750,000 | Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors | 2 | 3,200 meters | Turf | $1.5 million |
| $1 million | Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments | 1 | 1,200 meters | Turf | $2 million |
| $750,000 | UAE Derby Sponsored by Emirates NBD | 2 | 1,900 meters | Dirt | $2.5 million |
| $1.5 million | Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News | 1 | 1,200 meters | Dirt | $2.5 million |
| $4 million | Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World | 1 | 1,800 meters | Turf | $6 million |
| $5 million | Longines Dubai Sheema Classic | 1 | 2,410 meters | Turf | $6 million |
| $12 million | Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline | 1 | 2,000 meters | Dirt | $12 million |
*Arabians