The racing landscape in the Middle East is evolving rapidly with significant developments in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the international stage.
However, despite the increased competition and financial power of its neighbours, Dubai is, for now at least, maintaining its position as the centre of racing in the Gulf region.
The investment put into the sport and the vision of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, has given it a head start and, rather than being defensive, the decision has been made to work positively with rival racing jurisdictions.
Erwan Charpy, Racing Operations and International Liaisons Manager for the Dubai Racing Club, said: ‘‘You had two ways at looking at the development of racing in the region. Fight it or embrace it. We decided to embrace it and make the most of it.
People are used to Dubai for the quality of its facilities
‘‘People are used to Dubai for the quality of its facilities. We have had international racing for over 30 years.
‘‘We are used to receiving international people. I think people recognise that and the other thing not against us is that we have nice prize-money.’’
The fruits of that symbiotic relationship are already there to see, according to Sam Shinsky, Head of Integrity and Regulation at the Emirates Racing Authority, and it extends to sharing expertise.
Australian Shinsky, who has been resident in Dubai since 2013 having previously worked for Racing Victoria, said: ‘‘Racing is struggling in a lot of countries whereas over here it is growing. There is consolidation amongst the Gulf group to make that even better. It is not competition; we can work together to get better horses.
‘‘Because Dubai is well established, it has become a middle hub. You can see that this season with Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior. He is using it as a base to jump over to Saudi and then come back to Dubai.
‘‘You also see quite a few horses based here intending to run at the Qatar Emir Sword meeting. Dubai is an excellent middle base because we have good quarantine standards, which allow horses to travel.
‘‘I think you will see more co-operation, particularly between Saudi, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain plus Oman and Kuwait to try to bring them up to speed.
‘‘We try to help them because we have a lot more expertise. Bahrain reached out to the UAE to help them set up the turf series they have.
‘‘We are working together to improve the region. It is not just looking after ourselves. We want racing in the region to be strong.’’
You must go back to the early 1980s for the origins of racing in Dubai, but it was formalised in 1992 with the creation of the Dubai Racing Club.
Nad Al Sheba racecourse, which had been opened six years earlier, was the initial venue for the feature Dubai World Cup with US ace Cigar winning the $4 million inaugural running in 1996.
It remained the race’s venue until being demolished after the 2009 race when it was replaced by the futuristic Meydan.
That is now one of five racecourses in Dubai – Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Jebel Ali and Sharjah are the others – which are served by a population of around 600 thoroughbreds and 1,200 Purebred Arabians.
The extended International Carnival was developed to encourage more owners and trainers to winter their horses in Dubai
The Dubai World Cup, won by the likes of Animal Kingdom, Arrogate, California Chrome, Curlin, Dubai Millennium and Invasor, remains the jewel in the crown.
This year, the ten-furlong dirt race will be run on April 6 – the same day as the Grand National – and total prize-money of $30.5m will be on offer for a card that also features four other Group 1 prizes, namely the Al Quoz Sprint, Golden Shaheen, Dubai Turf and Sheema Classic, plus the UAE Derby.
Ahead of the grand finale, a new racing structure was implemented last season with an extended International Carnival to encourage more owners and trainers to winter their horses in Dubai.
With two additional racedays this season, the Carnival, which used to start in January, now runs from November 8 to March 14 and consists of 16 fixtures. Feature meetings also include Festive Friday (December 20), Fashion Friday (January 24) and Super Saturday (March 1).
Travel incentives are not as generous as they used to be, but they are available to older horsed rated 105 and higher and former trainer Charpy, who has been based in the Gulf since 1994, training over 500 winners including 11 at the top level, says 109 international horses have boosted the local population this winter.
They include horses from France, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the US.
Trainers can opt to have resident status. They must obtain a visa and set up a business in the UAE, but they are then allowed to run their horses at any Dubai track. This season they include Lucie Botti, wife of Newmarket-based Marco, 13-times Norwegian champion Niels Petersen and Julio Olascoaga from Uruguay, as well as Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor.
Most UK-based visitors choose to operate as visiting trainers from the international barns, which means in Dubai their horses are largely restricted to running at Meydan.
That is how Jamie Osborne works it. The Lambourn-based trainer has been a long-time supporter of Dubai racing but has embraced it more than ever with eight horses there this winter.
They include older horses bought specifically for the job, like veteran sprinter Emaraaty Ana, but also, for the first time, horses with dirt pedigrees that Osborne bought as yearlings or two-year-olds with Dubai in mind.
Topping that group is Heart Of Honor, a son of Honor A.P. bought for €160,000 at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale for owners Jim and Claire Bryce.
He has won twice at Meydan and developed into a UAE Derby possible after his second in the UAE 2,000 Guineas.
Osborne, who won the UAE Derby in 2014 with Toast Of New York, said: ‘‘It was a different angle to attempt. One thing we must accept when we go to Dubai is that on the turf we are going to run into Charlie Appleby, who is obviously very strong out there at every level. I could only do it with the backing of Jim and Claire Bryce.
‘‘It is not cheap. If you are going to attempt a project like this, you need good people out there. They must be housed, have a car and we must [pay to] get them there. The whole thing adds up but against that they are racing for good money, although it only becomes really good money if you have a very good horse.
‘‘Over and above that, if you have a client who really enjoys it, wants to do it and accepts that it is going to be more expensive having a horse there than at home, it is a very enjoyable thing to do.
‘‘Meydan put on a very good show and look after us very well. The spectacle of the event on a Friday night is phenomenal.
‘‘People who haven’t experienced it are shocked when they do because it is something special. I have yet to meet an owner who has experienced it who doesn’t want more of it.’’
Encouragingly for the Dubai authorities, racecourse attendances have increased this season.
We want to get more stable facilities built – we are chock-a-block
Charpy said: ‘‘Dubai has quite a lot to offer as entertainment, but we have still had good attendances when the racing has clashed with another big event like a concert. That tells us we are on the right track. We have poured a lot into it. One of the criticisms about Meydan in the past was that it was very compartmentalised.
‘‘We have tried to open up and enhance the experience, with areas where people can meet each other and be closer to the action.
‘’When you see the quality of the racing that we have I know that a few international jurisdictions envy us. The minimum number of runners of 12 or 13 per race is quite healthy.’’
Looking to the next few years, Charpy added: ‘Right now, one plan would be to try to get more stable facilities built because we are chock-a-block.
‘‘We have a few Carnival people who have expressed a desire to come back as a permanent trainer for next season. We will need facilities for them.’’
There is one seismic question that hangs over racing in Dubai – the possibility of legalised betting being introduced.
Being a Muslim country, it is a hugely sensitive subject. Any decision will ultimately be made at state level, but some believe the decision to open the first casino in the UAE in 2027 has shifted the dial.
The $3.9 billion development is at the Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s seven emirates.
The General Commercial and Gaming Regulatory Authority has been created to regulate the emerging gaming industry, which it is estimated could be worth between $3b to $5b a year as high-rollers make their way to the Las Vegas of the Middle East.
Realistically, if racing is going to remain sustainable in the region long-term, some feel sports betting, including on horseracing, has to come in, but gauging the current mood is tricky. Views differ between Emirates and no decision is expected soon.
The ramifications of the new casino are likely to be closely studied and could ultimately be influential in what is decided in Dubai.
