The spotlight turns to stamina and staying power in the $1 million Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup, the longest race on the nine-race Dubai World Cup card on Saturday, as a high-class international field assembles for the gruelling 3,200-metre turf test at Meydan Racecourse.
A race that demands resilience, tactical skill and proven endurance, over the years, the Gold Cup has increasingly become one of the most intriguing contests of the meeting, and this year’s renewal looks particularly deep.
Perhaps few understand what it takes to win the race better than Saeed bin Suroor, Godolphin’s longest-serving and most decorated trainer, who boasts over 2,500 career wins worldwide, including nearly 200 at the Group 1 level. A dominant force throughout the Dubai World Cup Carnival, where he has been crowned champion trainer no less than eight times, Bin Suroor returns with a familiar and much-loved contender in Dubai Future, last year’s winner of the race and now bidding to etch his name further into history.
Now a battle-hardened 10-year-old, Dubai Future remains an admirable and consistent campaigner after 36 career starts, and a victory would see him become only the second dual winner of the race after the great Vazirabad, who famously won three consecutive editions from 2016 to 2018.
Ageless contender holds Ffrm
Despite his advancing years, Dubai Future continues to hold his form remarkably well, and his trainer remains quietly optimistic about another bold showing. “We’re looking forward to running him in the Gold Cup again,” said Bin Suroor. “We took him to Meydan for a piece of work recently with Passion And Glory, and he went nicely. He’s in good condition, and we’re hopeful he can put up another strong performance.’”
The measured tone reflects both respect for the challenge ahead and confidence in a horse who has been a stalwart for the stable and a seasoned campaigner with several major wins to his name.
Dubai Future faces 13 rivals in what promises to be a truly international and competitive renewal of the Gold Cup. Among the strongest contingents is that of Irish handler Joseph O’Brien, the former champion jockey turned globally successful trainer. O’Brien, a dual Melbourne Cup-winning trainer, saddles three serious contenders.
Al Riffa, a Group 1 Irish St Leger winner, brings top-class staying credentials, while Tower Of London has already proven his effectiveness in the region with a previous Dubai Gold Cup victory (2024). Sons And Lovers, winner of the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia, adds further depth to a powerful team that could play a decisive role.
British stayers bring class
British trainers are also well represented, with Tom Clover’s Al Nayyir arriving in peak form after landing the Nad Al Sheba Trophy over this very distance, marking him as a big player, while George Scott’s Caballo De Mar boasts elite credentials, including victories in both the German St Leger and Prix du Cadran, making him one of the standout stayers in the field.
David Menuisier’s Sunway, runner-up in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy, and David O’Meara’s Epic Poet, a consistent performer at this level, add further strength, while James Owen’s Burdett Road looks to improve on recent efforts.
The UAE challenge extends beyond Dubai Future, with the father-and-son training duo of Simon and Ed Crisford fielding Fairy Glen and Telemark, while Emirati handler Salem bin Ghadayer’s Masmak and Qatar’s Hamad Al Jehani’s Hypnus also bring solid local form into the contest. French trainer Nicolas Caullery is represented by King Gold, adding another international dimension to the field.
With proven Group performers, emerging stayers and seasoned campaigners all lining up, the Dubai Gold Cup once again shapes as a searching examination of stamina and class. In a race where patience, applied with tactical precision, and endurance are paramount, the presence of a veteran like Dubai Future adds both narrative and intrigue.
As Dubai’s own Bin Suroor seeks to add another chapter to his remarkable career, the stage is set for a compelling staying contest at Meydan.
Race 3: Dubai Gold Cup (Group 2)
Post Time: 4:55pm Purse: S$1,000,000 Distance: 3,200m (Turf)
Prize Money: 1st: $580,000 2nd: $200,000 3rd: $100,000 4th: $50,000 5th: $30,000 6th: $20,000 7th: $10,000 8th: $10,000
Likely Runners:
• Al Riffa (FR) Ireland Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
• Tower Of London (IRE) Ireland Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
• Al Nayyir (GB) UK Trainer: Tom Clover
• Dubai Future (GB) UAE Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
• Caballo De Mar (IRE) UK Trainer: George Scott
• Sons And Lovers (GB) Ireland Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
• Sunway (FR) UK Trainer: David Menuisier
• Epic Poet (GB) UK Trainer: David O’Meara
• Burdett Road (GB) UK Trainer: James Owen
• Fairy Glen (FR) UAE Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford
• Hypnus (USA) UAE Trainer: Hamad Al Jehani
• King Gold (FR) France Trainer: Nicolas Caullery
• Telemark (IRE) UAE Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford
• Masmak (USA) UAE Trainer: Salem Bin Ghadayer
Source: Khaleej Times