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 takes place on the final Saturday in March. The race is recognised 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. But, when we write up our Dubai World Cup betting tips we factor in all of the variables that can have an impact on the result. We have studied all of the necessary form 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, Ushba Tesoro is the market leader to win the Dubai WC. However, we will back the horse that beat it in the recent Saudi Cup, Senor Buscador. US trainer Todd Fincher, whose horses have been placed 59 times in 86 starts this year, has readied this entry to perfection and such a combo of jockey (Junior Alvarado) and trainer is simply too good to ignore.
⏩ Senor Buscador to win the Dubai World Cup @8/1 (9.00)
Each/Way:
If you still fancy higher odds, we like the look of Clapton. This 5-year-old colt has a proven track record at the racecourse after placing in the G2 Al Maktoum Classic and the G3 Al Maktoum Challenge a few weeks back. However, due to the race's competitiveness, we prefer backing it each way for coverage.
⏩ Clapton to win the Dubai World Cup @66/1 (67.00)
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 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 on 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 favoured. 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 WC. In Arabic, the word Meydan means a meeting point where folk congregate and compete. 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 favours a lower draw. The dirt track here tends to be more speed favouring and replaced an all-weather surface known as ‘Tapeta’ in 2015 to please the American runners.
The race itself is Group One listed and lasts for a distance of 2,000 metres 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 favourites 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 12 years, the favourite has come home first.
⏩ In the past 12 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 eight of the last 12 renewals.
⏩ 11 of the last 12 winners have been previous Group One or Group Two winners.
⏩ Each of the last 12 winners has raced within the past eight weeks prior to this race.
⏩ In 27 renewals there have been 13 winners trained in the USA, 10 in the UAE, 2 in Japan and one each from the UK, and France.
⏩ On six occasions in the last 12 years, the favourite has returned unplaced.
⏩ On 40% of the last 12 renewals, the winner came from stalls 5-8.
⏩ Saeed Bin Suroor has trained four winners here.
Past Winners
It’s important to remember that favourites 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 |
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. Not only that but 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 licenced by the appropriate authorities such as the United Kingdom Gaming Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Many of these will specialise in horse racing and payout for extra places for a race as big as the Dubai World Cup. There are also many sites that offer daily price boosts on horses.
The Dubai World Cup is the climax of a series of races that takes place in late March each year at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The race is flat and raced on dirt, lasting for 2,000 metres and has a purse of $12 million making it the world’s richest horse race.
The 2024 Dubai World Cup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 30. As always, it will be held at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, a venue that holds up to 60,000 people.
The favourite to win is Ushba Tesoro, a horse that was trained in Japan by Noburu Takagi. It is the winner of last year's race in Dubai.
The 60,000 capacity Meydan Racecourse is a dirt track in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and was opened in 2010 to replace the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse which used to occupy the very same site.
You will want to choose a betting site that offers the best horse racing promotions. These can either be for new players or existing ones. Any decent site will offer free bets, accumulator insurance and price boosts on a regular basis.
Yes, you certainly can, there are lots of great promotions that are available. Some of these are Welcome Bonuses for new bettors, while other Offers are in place for existing players like Free Bets, Faller Insurances, and Enhanced Odds.
After reading our Dubai World Cup betting tips and making your picks for the race, head over to your preferred bookie and find the right market. Now click on the odds that are displayed next to your selection and it will be entered into your virtual betting slip. Next, enter your stake amount and click on the ‘place bet’ button.