Dubai Turf
The Dubai Turf, known as Dubai Duty Free 1996 to 2014. is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night in March.
| Group One race | |
| Location | Meydan Racecourse Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1996 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | Dubai World Cup |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1,800 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Northern Hemisphere 4yo+ & Southern Hemisphere 3yo+ |
| Weight | SH 3yo: 54.5kg. NH & SH 4yo+: 57kg. Allowance fillies and mares 2kg |
| Purse | US$6 million |
It was first run in 1996 on dirt, with a distance of 2,000 metres (1 mile 2 furlongs). It was transferred to turf, and a distance of 1,777 metres, in 2000. The race attained Group 1 status in 2002. The name of the race is taken from its sponsors, Dubai Duty Free. Between 1996 and 2009 it was run at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Since 2010 it has been run in Meydan, where it is run at 1,800 metres.
In 2006, the race became the second leg of the four race Asian Mile Challenge.
The Dubai Duty Free Stakes currently offers a purse of US$5 million, which places it and the Dubai Sheema Classic among the richest races on turf in the world. [1]
From 2015, DP World Signs sponsorship with Meydan Group, the race name renamed to Dubai Turf.
Records
Speed record: (at current distance of 1,800 metres and Meydan Racecourse)
- 1:45.52 – Just A Way (2014)
Most wins:
- 3 - Lord North (2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 – Frankie Dettori (1997, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 6 – Saeed bin Suroor (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013, 2018)
Most wins by an owner:
- 4 – Godolphin Racing (1997, 1998, 2013, 2018)
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Key of Luck | 5 | Gary Stevens | Kiaran McLaughlin | Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum | 2:03.77 | |||
| 1997 | Tamayaz | 5 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin Racing | 2:02.20 | |||
| 1998 | Annus Mirabilis | 6 | Gary Stevens | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin Racing | 2:04.32 | |||
| 1999 | Altibr | 4 | Richard Hills | Saeed bin Suroor | Hamdan Al Maktoum | 2:00.79 | |||
| 2000 | Rhythm Band | 4 | Ted Durcan | Saeed bin Suroor | Rashid Al Maktoum | 1:48.60 | |||
| 2001 | Jim And Tonic | 7 | Gerald Mosse | François Doumen | John D. Martin & Roger Barby | 1:47.83 | |||
| 2002 | Terre a Terre | 5 | Christophe Soumillon | Eric Libaud | Mmes H. Devin & B. Ashbrooke | 1:48.75 | |||
| 2003 | Ipi Tombe | 4 | Kevin Shea | Mike de Kock | Team Valor et al. | 1:47.61 | |||
| 2004 | Right Approach (dh) Paolini (dh) |
5 7 |
Weichong Marwing Eduard Pedroza |
Mike de Kock Andreas Wöhler |
Bernard Kantor et al. Carde Ostermann-Richter |
1:49.36 | |||
| 2005 | Elvstroem | 5 | Nash Rawiller | Tony Vasil | Elvstroem Syndicate | 1:50.54 | |||
| 2006 | David Junior | 4 | Jamie Spencer | Brian J. Meehan | Roldvale Ltd & Gold Group Int'l | 1:49.65 | |||
| 2007 | Admire Moon | 4 | Yutaka Take | Hiroyoshi Matsuda | Riichi Kondo | 1:47.94 | |||
| 2008 | Jay Peg | 5 | Anton Marcus | Herman Brown | M. Shirtliff et al. | 1:46:20 | |||
| 2009 | Gladiatorus | 4 | Ahmed Ajtebi | Mubarak bin Shafya | Mansoor Al Maktoum | 1:46.92 | |||
| 2010 | Al Shemali | 6 | Royston Ffrench | Ali Rashid Al Raihe | Mansoor Al Maktoum | 1:50.84 | |||
| 2011 | Presvis | 7 | Ryan Moore | Luca Cumani | Leonidas Marinopoulous | 1:50.21 | |||
| 2012 | Cityscape | 6 | James Doyle | Roger Charlton | Khalid Abdullah | 1:48.65 | |||
| 2013 | Sajjhaa | 6 | Silvestre de Sousa | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 1:47.93 | |||
| 2014 | Just A Way | 5 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Naosuke Sugai | Akatsuki Yamatoya | 1:45.52 | |||
| 2015 | Solow | 5 | Maxime Guyon | Freddy Head | Wertheimer et Frère | 1:47.76 | |||
| 2016 | Real Steel | 4 | Ryan Moore | Yoshito Yahagi | Sunday Racing Co Ltd | 1:47.13 | |||
| 2017 | Vivlos | 4 | João Moreira | Yasuo Tomomichi | Kazuhiro Sasaki | 1:50.20 | |||
| 2018 | Benbatl | 4 | Oisin Murphy | Saeed Bin Suroor | Godolphin | 1:46.08 | |||
| 2019 | Almond Eye | 4 | Christophe Lemaire | Sakae Kunieda | Silk Racing | 1:46.78 | |||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||||
| 2021 | Lord North | 5 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Zayed bin Mohammed | 1:46.46 | |||
| 2022 | Lord North (dh) Panthalassa (dh) |
6 5 |
Frankie Dettori Yutaka Yoshida |
John & Thady Gosden Yoshito Yahagi |
Zayed bin Mohammed Hiroo Race Co Ltd |
1:45.77 | |||
| 2023 | Lord North | 7 | Frankie Dettori | John & Thady Gosden | Zayed bin Mohammed | 1:47.39 | |||