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  The Dubai World Cup is the Arab world’s equivalent of Ascot in the UK or the Melbourne Cup in Australia, attracting the cream of society dressed in their finest for the glittering occasion. From racing experts to complete novices, the grandstands, public enclosures, corporate hospitality boxes and the International Village were teeming with race-goers excited by the grandeur of the occasion.

  The race was conceived by Dubai’s ruling Maktoum family as a means of pitting the world’s best horses against each other to decide the ultimate champion, and the list of past winners reads like a who’s who of world racing: Cigar, Singspiel, Dubai Millennium and Silver Charm to name but a few.

  The race is also essentially a homecoming for the thoroughbreds that compete, as every thoroughbred in the world today descends from the three Arabian stallions exported from the Middle East — the Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Godolphin Arabian.

  Launching the first Dubai World Cup back in 1996, General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, said: “The Dubai World Cup is a challenge for horses, for people and for all of us here in Dubai.

  It is the challenge of testing the best with the best. Racing here may still be young but the idea of the big race is as old as the game itself.

  "Whilst every champion will have its supporters, the best of all ways of settling their arguments is out there on the track. Here in Dubai we have a commitment to quality in all we do, so when it came to a big event, we wanted to come up with the biggest challenge yet. The Dubai World Cup - the race we have been waiting for.”

  Since that first running, the event has gone from strength to strength, attracting the best horses from around the world, with entries from the US, Japan, Argentina, Great Britain, Germany, Brazil and South Africa all competing in this year’s running.

  But it was the American horse Roses in May that stole the show. Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by John Velazquez, Roses in May started as favourite and showed its class by coming from fifth place early on to take the lead into the finishing straight and romp home by three clear lengths from fellow American raider Dynever.

  It was the fifth win for an American horse in the Dubai World Cup, and provided winning owner Ken Ramsey with the ‘greatest moment of my life.’

  “I feel like I have climbed a mountain tonight,” the former mobile phone salesman said. “We knew our horse had so much stamina that if they wanted to run with him early they were not going to last.”

  The Dubai World Cup was the seventh and final race of the day, and the grand finale of the Dubai International Racing Carnival – a festival of racing which began on January 20. Featuring 43 races, a total of 200 horses from 20 countries and representing 79 trainers came to Dubai to compete in the Carnival for a total of US$25,000,000 in prize-money, underlying just how international racing in Dubai has become.

  “The Dubai World Cup has grown in stature over these years, and the success of the event also reflects the progress made in Dubai,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “The Dubai Racing Carnival, which was introduced last year, has been highly successful in bringing in more new owners, trainers and jockeys to Dubai. For us, organising the Dubai World Cup is not about money, nor is it about commercial success. We are doing it out of the sheer love we have for horses.”

  Sheikh Mohammed’s love of racing dates back to 1967 when he first visited a racecourse in England. He and his brother, Sheikh Hamdan, watched Royal Palace win the 2000 Guineas and 10 years later, in Brighton, Hatta gave Sheikh Mohammed the first of many victories as an owner.

  Despite great success, it was not until Sheikh Mohammed established the Godolphin racing stable in 1994 that the racing world really began to acknowledge his passion for - and understanding of - horses.  Once he had taken the groundbreaking step of bringing his horses to Dubai for winter training, it quickly became apparent that this was a man who knew a great deal about horses and how to get the best out of them.

  At the time Godolphin was established, owners tended to race their horses only on their own continent. Sheikh Mohammed wanted to race his horses all over the world and to encourage others to do the same, and the Dubai World Cup was established with this aim in mind.

Race results:

  Dubai World Cup (Gr.I), sponsored by Emirates Airline

  Roses in May justified his favouritism by landing the world’s richest race, the US$6,000,000 Dubai World Cup (Gr.I), sponsored by Emirates Airline, by a convincing three lengths over 2,000 metres at Nad Al Sheba.

  Roses in May was in fifth place early with the field being taken along by the Mike de Kock-trained Yard-Arm. Roses in May, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by John Velazquez, came around the outside and took the lead into the straight and from that moment on there was no looking back.

  Dynever, trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Jose Santos, came with a late burst of speed to take second from the Jeff Mullins-trained Choctaw Nation, the mount of Victor Espinoza. Gerard Butler’s Jack Sullivan ran the race of his life under Darryll Holland to take fourth ahead of the Dick Mandella-trained Congrats.

  Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr.I), sponsored by EMAAR

  Madjani, ridden by Willie Supple and trained by Gillian Duffield, took the lead coming into the straight and powered home to win the US$250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr.I) over 2,000 metres for Purebred Arabians.

  Djelmane, trained by Doug Watson and ridden by Gaven Birrer, set the early pace but Madjani soon came past and crossed the line a length and a half clear of the Richard Hill’s partnered Al Saoudi with Velte in third.

Godolphin Mile (Gr.II), sponsored by Jebel Ali International Hotels.

Grand Emporium, who was purchased by Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum a couple of days before the race, was an impressive winner of the US$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile (Gr.II), sponsored by Jebel Ali International Hotels over 1,600 metres on the dirt.

  Partnered by Weichong Marwing and trained by Mike de Kock, Grand Emporium, a course and distance winner during the Dubai International Racing Carnival when claiming the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge (Gr.II), tracked the leader in the early stages.

  American raider Tsigane, set the pace under Pat Valenzuela, but Grand Emporium took up the running just over 200 metres from home, crossing the line a length and a quarter clear of the Frankie Dettori-partnered Qais with Tsigane in third.

  UAE Derby (Gr.II), sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group

  Blues and Royals, the mount of Kerrin McEvoy, regained Godolphin’s hold on the US$2,000,0000 UAE Derby (Gr.II), sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, over 1,800 metres on the dirt.

  Godolphin won this race in 2000, 2001 and 2002 but Mike de Kock claimed it for the next two years with Victory Moon in 2003 and Lundy’s Liability last year.

  Shamardal, the mount of Frankie Dettori, set a cracking pace early on just ahead of the Kenneth McPeek-trained Durban Thunder, Blues and Royals was racing in sixth place on the rails. Shamardal began to weaken into the straight with Durban Thunder taking over the lead.

  Blues and Royal, a son of Honour and Glory, came through on the rails to lead just over 200 metres out and was soon clear, running on to an easy 12 length victory from the Bobby Frankel-trained Marenostrum with the Ted Durcan-partnered Parole Board in third.

Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Waterfront

  Phoenix Reach claimed another overseas victory when landing the US$2,000,000 Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Waterfront, over 2,400 metres on the turf.

  Razkalla, the mount of Kerrin McEvoy, set the pace, with the Hong Kong Vase (Gr.I) and Canadian International (Gr.I) winner Phoenix Reach, the mount of Martin Dwyer, coming from virtually last with a great late run to take the lead just over 100 metres from the line to win by two lengths from Razkalla.

  Collier Hill, trained in Britain by Alan Swinbank, was always in the first four and ran on well in the closing stages to take third place, a short head from Razkalla,

  Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I), sponsored by Gulf News

  Saratoga County, trained in America by George Weaver and ridden by Javier Castellano, landed the world’s richest sprint race when claiming the US$2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.I), sponsored by Gulf News, over the straight 1,200 metres on the Nad Al Sheba dirt.

  Saratoga County raced in fifth early with the Brazilian-bred race favourite Pico Central setting the pace, Saratoga started making progress from the half way point and taking the lead 200 metres from home, running on to a length win over Tropical Star, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, with Godolphin’s Botanical, under Frankie Dettori, in third.

  Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free

  Australia celebrated their first winner in Dubai when the Tony Vasil-trained Elvstroem made all to win the US$2,000,000 Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I), sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, over 1,777 metres on the turf.

  Partnered by Nash Rawiller, Elvstroem, set a steady pace with Whilly, trained by American Doug O’Neill, tracking in second. Elvstroem went clear 400 metres out and stayed on to win by two and three quarter lengths from Whilly with last year’s Dubai Duty Free (Gr.I) winner Right Approach in third.