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Dubai Turf

United Arab Emirates | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

FACTEUR CHEVAL (centre) winning the Dubai Turf at Meydan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
FACTEUR CHEVAL (centre) winning the Dubai Turf at Meydan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Picture: Neville Hopwood/Getty Images

The Dubai Turf is a Group 1 middle distance race for four year olds and up conducted by the Dubai Racing Club at Meydan.

The Dubai Turf was first run in 1996 won by Key Of Luck. It was previously known as the Dubai Duty Free until 2014.

The Dubai Turf was initially run on dirt at 2000m but when it moved to turf in 2000, it was 1777m.

The race became a Group 1 in 2002 and when moved to Meydan it went to 1800m.

It is run on Dubai World Cup night as the feature turf middle distance race on the program.

Lord North became the first horse to win the race twice with his dead heat in 2022 and Frankie Dettori has most jockey wins at two plus that dead heat. Lord North won again a year later.

Leading trainer is Saeed bin Suroor with six victories.

The 2001 edition was a famous clash of three of the best on turf around this trip to be racing each other. Jim And Tonic prevailed over Fairy King Prawn and Sunline.

The latter two had fought out a gigantic clash at Sha Tin in December.

In 2005 Australian stallion Elvstroem headed to Nad Al Sheba after defeat in the Australian Cup. Nash Rawiller took him to the front and he controlled the race.

Right there to be challenged at the 400m, he sprinted too fast and won with such ease.

Benbatl won his first international G1 winning the Dubai Turf with ease. He'd then win a G1 in Germany before heading to Australia and winning the Caulfield Stakes. He'd then run bravely to Winx in her fourth Cox Plate victory.

Japanese great mare Almond Eye returned from a spell to easily win in 2019. She was developing a great record and kept going until the end of her career with a superb Japan Cup victory.

There was a dead heat in 2004 and again in 2022 when Lord North and Panthalassa hit the line together. Lord North also won 2021 and 2023 runnings either side.

The Dubai Turf was worth US$5million in 2024.

It was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

The winners include Lord North (2021/2022/2023), Almond Eye (2019), Benbatl (2018), Real Steel (2016), Solow (2015), Cityscape (2012), Presvis (2011), Jay Peg (2008), Admire Moon (2007), Elvstroem (2005), Jim And Tonic (2001), Annus Mirabilis (1998) and Tamayaz (1997).

The 2024 Dubai Turf was won by Facteur Cheval from Namur and Danon Beluga.


Racing and Sports

Previous Dubai Turf Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
FACTEUR CHEVAL (IRE) 5G
RIBCHESTER (IRE) - JAWLAAT (IRE) SHAMARDAL (USA)
MAXIME GUYON 57.0 JEROME REYNIER 8
LORD NORTH (IRE) 7G
DUBAWI (IRE) - NAJOUM (USA) GIANT'S CAUSEWAY (USA)
LANFRANCO DETTORI 57.0 JOHN & THADY GOSDEN 3
PANTHALASSA (JPN) 5H
LORD KANALOA (JPN) - MISS PEMBERLEY (IRE) MONTJEU (IRE)
Y YOSHIDA 57.0 Y YAHAGI 11
LORD NORTH (IRE) 6G
DUBAWI (IRE) - NAJOUM (USA) GIANT'S CAUSEWAY (USA)
LANFRANCO DETTORI 57.0 JOHN GOSDEN 8
LORD NORTH (IRE) 5G
DUBAWI (IRE) - NAJOUM (USA) GIANT'S CAUSEWAY (USA)
LANFRANCO DETTORI 57.0 JOHN GOSDEN 9
ALMOND EYE (JPN) 4F
LORD KANALOA (JPN) - FUSAICHI PANDORA (JPN) SUNDAY SILENCE (USA)
C P LEMAIRE 55.0 SAKAE KUNIEDA 7
BENBATL (GB) 4H
DUBAWI (IRE) - NAHRAIN (GB) SELKIRK (USA)
OISIN MURPHY 57.0 SAEED BIN SUROOR 5
VIVLOS (JPN) 4F
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - HALWA SWEET (JPN) MACHIAVELLIAN (USA)
JOAO MOREIRA 55.0 Y TOMOMICHI 9
REAL STEEL (JPN) 4H
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - LOVES ONLY ME (USA) STORM CAT (USA)
RYAN MOORE 57.0 Y YAHAGI 14
SOLOW (GB) 5G
SINGSPIEL (IRE) - HIGH MAINTENANCE (FR) HIGHEST HONOR (FR)
MAXIME GUYON 57.0 FREDDIE HEAD 10
JUST A WAY (JPN) 5H
HEART'S CRY (JPN) - SIBYL (JPN) WILD AGAIN (USA)
Y FUKUNAGA 57.0 N SUGAI 2
SAJJHAA (GB) 6M
KING'S BEST (USA) - ANAAMIL (IRE) DARSHAAN (GB)
SILVESTRE DE SOUSA 55.0 SAEED BIN SUROOR 5
CITYSCAPE (GB) 6H
SELKIRK (USA) - TANTINA (USA) DISTANT VIEW (USA)
JAMES DOYLE 57.0 R CHARLTON 11
PRESVIS (GB) 7G
SAKHEE (USA) - FOREST FIRE (SWE) NEVER SO BOLD (IRE)
RYAN MOORE 57.5 L M CUMANI 6
AL SHEMALI (GB) 6H
MEDICEAN (GB) - BATHILDE (IRE) GENEROUS (IRE)
ROYSTON FFRENCH 57.5 ALI RASHID AL RAIHE 7
GLADIATORUS (USA) 4H
SILIC (FR) - GMAASHA (IRE) KRIS (GB)
AHMED AJTEBI 57.5 M BIN SHAFYA 2
JAY PEG (SAF) 4H
CAMDEN PARK (USA) - LAPTOP LADY (SAF) AL MUFTI (USA)
ANTON MARCUS 57.5 HERMAN BROWN 14
ADMIRE MOON (JPN) 4H
END SWEEP (USA) - MY KATIES (JPN) SUNDAY SILENCE (USA)
YUTAKA TAKE 57.5 H MATSUDA 10
DAVID JUNIOR (USA) 4H
PLEASANT TAP (USA) - PARADISE RIVER (USA) IRISH RIVER (FR)
J P SPENCER 57.5 B J MEEHAN 1
ELVSTROEM (AUS) 4H
DANEHILL (USA) - CIRCLES OF GOLD (AUS) MARSCAY (AUS)
N RAWILLER 57.5 TONY VASIL 14
RIGHT APPROACH (GB) 5H
MACHIAVELLIAN (AUS) - ABBEY STRAND (USA) SHADEED (USA)
WEICHONG MARWING 57.5 M F DE KOCK 7
PAOLINI (GER) 7H
LANDO (GER) - PRAIRIE DARLING (IRE) STANFORD (GB)
EDUARDO PEDROZA 57.5 A WOHLER 4
IPI TOMBE (ZIM) 4M
MANSHOOD (GB) - CARNET DE DANSE (GB) DANCE IN TIME (CAN)
KEVIN SHEA 55.5 M F DE KOCK
TERRE A TERRE (FR) 5M
KALDOUNEVEES (FR) - TOUJOURS JUSTE (FR) ALWAYS FAIR (USA)
C SOUMILLON 55.5 E LIBAUD 3
JIM AND TONIC (FR) 7G
DOUBLE BED (FR) - JIMKA (FR) JIM FRENCH (USA)
G MOSSE 57.5 FRANCOIS DOUMEN 8
RHYTHM BAND (USA) 4H
COZZENE (USA) - GOLDEN WAVE BAND (USA) DIXIELAND BAND (USA)
T E DURCAN 57.5 SAEED BIN SUROOR

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