Dubai World Cup Tips 2025

The Dubai World Cup is an international Group 1 flat thoroughbred horse race that is held each year at the Meydan racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. It is part of World Cup Night, and it will take place on Saturday 5th of April this year. The race is recognized today as being one of the world's richest, with a purse of $12 million. With high stakes and the quality of the runners, it is highly competitive.

Because of this, betting interest is high among players. If you are asking yourself how to bet on the Dubai World Cup, you have come to the right place. We will not only give you vital stats and past results to help you make informed decisions but also valuable Dubai World Cup tips. Let’s get down to it.

Dubai World Cup Betting Guide

As you can imagine, with so much pedigree on show, calling out the winner of this incredible race can be tricky. However, when we write up our Dubai World Cup betting tips, we factor in all of the variables that can impact the result. We have studied all of the necessary forms and fitness of the runners and riders of this year’s event, so our picks are the results of much statistical analysis.

Winner/Antepost:

Based on the current odds, Forever Young is the market leader to win the Dubai WC. He is arguably the best racehorse on the planet, and he is in great form. Yet, the odds for Winner are very low compared to his competitors, and he came out of a tiring race, which might leave just enough chance for Imperial Emperor to steal the show.

Unlike other races, the bookmakers are not offering many Ante-Post and special bets for the Dubai World Cup. If you are placing a bet for the winner, then Forever Young must be your choice at 1.60 odds, despite the juicier and more tempting payouts of 8.50 on Walk of Stars, 10.00 on Ushba Tesoro, or 41.00 on Hit the Show.

⏩ Forever Young to win the Dubai World Cup @1.60

Each/Way:

If you still prefer higher odds, we like the look of Imperial Emperor. This 5-year-old horse has a proven track record at the racecourse. It won 3 of the last 5 races and placed second once, all of which at the Meydan racecourse. However, due to the race's competitiveness, we prefer backing it each way for coverage. 

⏩ Imperial Emperor to win the Dubai World Cup @6.50

Where Should I Engage in Dubai World Cup Betting

So, you have your picks for the big race and need to decide on a site where you can place your bets. Choosing the right one is a critical part of your strategy. Fortunately, we have a very long list of excellent bookmakers for you to make your selections.

There are certain criteria that we consider when we recommend a bookie. Of course, almost all horse bookmakers will offer odds on the world’s richest race. But which is the best one? We look into areas such as the value of their prices, the variety of markets and whether or not they offer live streaming services.

There are also sites that pay extra places on many of the UK and Irish horse races, as well as offering price boosts and Acca insurance. All of these will enhance your horse racing betting experience.

How to Bet on the Dubai World Cup

Some of you may already know, but there are a lot of amateurs who wonder, 'Can I bet on horse racing online'. The answer is yes, but there are also a few steps you can take to increase your chances.

Besides following our Dubai World Cup betting tips, there are several other things that you should check when looking to back a horse. All of this information will be available online. You should always check your horse’s history on a course, which, in this case, is the Meydan in Dubai.

To answer the question of how to bet on the Dubai World Cup, it would also be useful to know which-handed that track is left-handed or right-handed. In this case, it is left-handed. In addition, consider what the draw bias will be. For this race, low is generally favored. Finally, check your history for past winners. This is especially true of jockeys and trainers that have a good record.

What Should I Know About the Racecourse?

The Meydan Race Course is located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It opened its doors for business on 27 March 2010, replacing the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Prior to 2009, Meydan’s predecessor had been the home of the World Cup. The track that the horses race on is dirt.

This means that besides any Dubai World Cup tips that you can find, you should look for horses that run well over this particular type of all-weather surface. As mentioned above, it is left-handed and historically favors a lower draw. The dirt track here tends to be more speed-favored, and it replaced an all-weather surface known as ‘Tapeta’ in 2015 to please American runners.

The race itself is Group One listed and lasts for a distance of 2,000 meters, which works out to be about one and a quarter miles or ten furlongs. On Dubai World Cup night, there is one Purebred Arabian race and eight thoroughbred horse races with the main event coming as the climax of the evening.

Is it Worth Backing the Favourites

As with any major race or minor, as it happens, there will always be stats and trends that we can research to help us make better-informed picks. For instance, how often do the Dubai World Cup favorites enjoy success in the big race? Well, we can tell you now that favourites are no sure thing, but what else do you need to know?

⏩ On only four occasions in the past 13 years, the favorite has come home first.

⏩ In the past 13 years, there have been five horses owned by Godolphin that have won the race. This is the stable owned by Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

⏩ Horses aged five years or older won nine of the last 13 renewals. 

⏩ 11 of the last 13 winners have been previous Group One or Group Two winners.

⏩ Each of the last 13 winners has raced within the past eight weeks prior to this race.

⏩ In 28 renewals, there were 14 winners trained in the USA, 10 in the UAE, 2 in Japan, and one each from the UK and France. We counted Laurel Rivers as American since the horse was transferred to UAE from there.

⏩ On six occasions in the last 13 years, the favorite has returned unplaced.

⏩ Saeed Bin Suroor has trained four winners here.

Past Winners

It’s important to remember that favorites don’t have a great record in the Dubai World Cup. In recent years, we have seen a few low-priced winners, but only three favourites, one of which had an odds on starting price (SP).

Year	Horse	Country	Age	Jockey	Trainer	SP
2024	Laurel Rivers	USA	6	Tadhg O'Shea	Bhupat Seemar	9/1
2023	Ushba Tesoro	JPN	6	Yuga Kawada	Noburu Takagi	8/1
2022	Country Grammer	USA	5	Frankie Detorie	Bob Baffert	10/1
2021	Mystic Guide	USA	4	Luis Saez	Michael Stidham	5/2
2020	Cancelled	-	-	-	-	-
2019	Thunder Snow	UAE	5	Christophe Sumillon	Saeed bin Suroor	4/1
2018	Thunder Snow	UAE	5	Christophe Sumillon	Saeed bin Suroor	8/1
2017	Arrogate	S. Arabia	4	Mike E. Smith	Bob Baffert	1/3
2016	California Chrome	USA	5	Victor Espinosa	Art Sherman	15/8
2015	Prince Bishop	UAE	8	William Buick	Saeed bin Suroor	14/1
2014	African Story	UAE	7	Silvestre de Sousa	Saeed bin Suroor	12/1
2013	Animal Kingdom	AUS/USA	5	Joel Rosario	Graham Motion	11/2

Alternative High-profile Horse Races

Even though the Dubai World Cup is one of the most prestigious international races worldwide, the fact that you can only bet on it once a year limits your opportunities. You don't have to worry, though, as the horse calendar is full of exciting events. To save you precious time, we have already conducted research on all of them. Feel free to browse our guides below: 

⏩ King George Chase Betting Tips

⏩ Best Arc De Triomphe Betting Sites

⏩ Japan Cup Betting Predictions

Full List of Dubai World Cup Betting Sites

So, by now, you should have a thorough understanding of what is needed to bet on the Dubai World Cup. From here, you need to choose the betting site where you wish to deposit your money before making your selections. Well, fortunately for you, we have a long list of completely safe and reliable Dubai World Cup bookmakers for you to choose from when betting on the horses.

All of these are licensed by the appropriate authorities, such as the United Kingdom Gaming Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Many specialize in horse racing and payout for extra places for a race as big as the Dubai World Cup. There are also sites that offer daily price boosts on horses.