The UAE’s flagship racecourse, Meydan, will kick off its 2022/2023 season on Friday November 4 with the first of 21 matches, the Dubai Racing Cub has announced.

Events at Meydan Racecourse will culminate in the 2023 edition of the $30.5 million Dubai World Cup meeting, one of the largest racing meetings in the world, which will be held on Saturday March 25.

Commenting on the announcement, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, thanked His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Minister for Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority for the support he extended to the initiatives of the Dubai Racing Cub.

“We are delighted to announce an improved program for the 2022/23 racing season at Meydan,” said Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmouk. “We thank His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed and the ERA team for their support, which has allowed us to enrich the list of fixtures and create a dynamic new program that offers greater opportunities for international horses to compete. here during Carnival.

“We are also grateful for the support of our local male and female riders, as well as our loyal racing fans, and look forward to welcoming them back to our iconic Meydan Racecourse for the first of our ‘Racing In Dubai’ meetings on November 4.”

“Dubai continues to introduce initiatives to energize the industry and revitalize the global community of horse owners, trainers and other equestrian professionals. With its deep-rooted traditions in horse riding, racing, breeding , endurance, exhibition and show jumping, Dubai continues to be the focal point of the global equestrian fraternity,” he added.

Preparation for the Dubai World Cup meeting will begin as early as November when Meydan Racecourse begins its new season. The 20th edition of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which brings together horses, trainers and jockeys from around the world, kicks off on Friday 6 January.

An enhanced carnival program, with prizes totaling over $7.5 million, will take place at Meydan Racecourse between January and March, culminating in “Super Saturday” – the official dress rehearsal for the World Cup Dubai – March 4.

Created in 2004, the 2023 Carnival will feature several new races, including the $150,000 Thunder Snow Challenge, over 2,000 meters on clay. Another addition is the $150,000 Ipi Tombe Stakes, for fillies and turf mares over 1,400 meters, which honors the Zimbabwe-bred mare who won the Dubai Duty Free tournament in 2003.

In total, there are 21 group races for Thoroughbreds. Purebred Arabians also get their share of the action, with a new race being the United Arab Emirates Arab Sprint Championship. The rest of the Arab races have group status, including three Group 1 stages of the Maktoum Challenge series.

The 2023 Carnival will offer plenty of opportunities for the disabled, with 20 handicaps, split between dirt and grass, complementing the model races and with a minimum value of $75,000 each.

Meanwhile, the Jumeirah Turf series for three-year-olds returns for a second season. Last year’s Jumeirah Derby winner Nations Pride then competed in the Gr1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom.