Numbers down at Meydan Racecourse but quality is up for Dubai World Cup Carnival

The Dubai Racing Club are not overly concerned about the drop in number of entries to the Dubai World Cup Carnival that starts at Meydan Racecourse next month, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Trainer Mike de Kock has reduced his string by half for this year's Dubai Carnival compared to last season. Garry Jones / AP Photo

The Dubai Racing Club are not overly concerned about the drop in number of entries to the Dubai World Cup Carnival that starts at Meydan Racecourse next month.

On Wednesday the Dubai Racing Club released a list of international acceptors packed with quality but light on numbers compared to last year, with the total number of horses that could travel to Dubai down by almost a quarter.

The dwindling interest stems mainly from Ireland, who put up 25 horses last season and have a maximum of 12 this campaign, as well as from the United States where trainers continue to resists the charms of Meydan’s new and improving dirt surface.

Leading international trainer Mike de Kock saddled more runners than ever last season, with a total of 46 horses in Blue stables, but he has reduced his string by half for this season.

“I have seen those numbers fluctuate year to year, and when you lose some from, say, Ireland you pick more up from elsewhere,” Dubai Racing Club executive director Frank Gabriel said.

“I don’t see the drop in initial entries as a negative. We had more horses apply last year, but when you look at it only around 170 to 180 of those actually raced and those numbers increased throughout the Carnival with horses added during the season.”

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Ahead of last season Meydan ripped up the Tapeta surface to lay down dirt, and initially the move back to the surface the inaugural World Cup was run on in 1996 received a boost when 11 American horses were pre-entered.

However, seven of those were by Seth Benzel, a trainer who had hoped to act as a conduit for American trainers but was unsuccessful in his venture.

Only three American horses have been nominated for a run during the Carnival, with 2014 US Horse of the Year California Chrome the considerable draw on the card for the Dubai Racing Club.

The World Cup runner-up has unfinished business in the event and has been earmarked for at least a run on Super Saturday on March 5.

“We have been trying very hard to get American trainers to have runners here,” Gabriel said.

“We went to the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland and spoke to people there, but Americans have so many opportunities during the winter such as at Gulfstream, Santa Anita and the Fair Grounds that it is hard to get them to travel. You can’t dance every dance.

“We are, of course, not going to give up and it would be great to get more out here.”

Where the Dubai Racing Club have been particularly successful is maintaining the quality of runner that travel to the UAE and widening their reach.

The quality of the Carnival acceptors is buoyant with the average rating hovering at around 105. That compares favourably with the past six seasons since the Carnival moved to Meydan from Nad Al Sheba.

South Korea have long held expansionist hopes and they have been helped considerably by Japan, with whom they have raced for the past three seasons in the Interaction Cup.

The contest is held in South Korea every summer and the return leg then takes place at Ohi Racecourse during the autumn.

As a result of these moves and a recent international meeting South Korea are primed to send over Cheongu and Success Story, who both have proved far too good for their domestic rivals and won last month on the same day at Seoul and Busan racecourses, respectively.

Overall horses from 16 countries have pledged to race at the Carnival.

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