Dubai World Cup Carnival to begin on January 21

2021 Carnival will include six meetings and lead up to the Dubai World Cup on March 27

Fernando Jara guided Wildman Jack to victory at the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, during the Super Saturday meeting at the Meydan Racecourse in March. Pawan Singh / The National

The Dubai World Cup Carnival will take place from January 21 to February 25 and culminate with the Super Saturday meeting on March 6, Dubai Racing Club announced on Thursday.

The 2021 Carnival will consist of six meetings, to be held every Thursday, followed by the Super Saturday card – the dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup, which is scheduled for March 27.

The Carnival meetings have been cut from nine in the previous season and the prize fund reduced correspondingly. The Dubai Racing Club's main aim is to ensure the return of racing in safe and secure conditions.

The opening Carnival meeting promises top fare as usual with six out of seven races falling in the Group and Listed categories.

The highlight of the opening night’s card is the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, run over a mile, which serves as a prep, for both the Group 2 Godolphin Mile and Group 1 Dubai World Cup.

The remaining meetings of racing during the Carnival are also set to offer similarly high quality races and are expected to attract the finest international trainers, horses and jockeys.

Runners from the UK, USA, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway as well as the UAE were represented in the previous Super Saturday meetings.

Wildman Jack, trained by Doug O’Neill in the US, was among the impressive international winners on Super Saturday the previous season.

The four-year-old gelding won the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint before going on to win the Goldencents Group 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita.

He was placed in the Group 2 Eddie D Stakes, and is a strong contender in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on November 7.

A similar international participation is expected for 2021. The closing date for the connections to file in their Carnival applications is November 23.

The Dubai Racing Club will follow strict health and safety measures, including comprehensive sanitation, thermal screening of attendees and social distancing, as regulated by the UAE government.

The domestic season gets underway at Al Ain on October 29 followed by Jebel Ali and Sharjah in the next two days. Meydan host their first meeting on November 5 and Abu Dhabi on November 8.