Super Saturday is a ‘dress rehearsal’ with all seven races mirroring the conditions of one of those on the Dubai World Cup card. (Photo credit: (Credit: Erika Rasmussen//Dubai Racing Club).
Super Saturday’ at Meydan Racecourse will once again kick off on March 5th, and is regarded as the full dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup meeting, sponsored by Emirates Airline.
With an enhanced program of nine races this year, Super Saturday is undoubtedly an important meeting of the UAE season outside of the $30.5million Dubai World Cup day.
The card features two Group Ones, the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, over 2000 meters on dirt, and the Jebel Hatta, over 1800 meters on turf, in which defending champion Lord Glitters is expected to line up again.
The concluding round of the Al Maktoum Challenge has been won by subsequent Dubai World Cup winners Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002) and Electrocutionist (2006), all at Nad Al Sheba. No horse, as yet, has won both races in the same year at Meydan although 2014 Super Saturday winner Prince Bishop won the 2015 Dubai World Cup and African Story, winner of the 2014 Dubai World Cup, won Al Maktoum Challenge R3 the following year.
Prep Races for World Cup Day Races
The day also includes prep races for most of the other Dubai World Cup night races, with the G2 Dubai City of Gold, won last year by Godolphin’s Walton Street, a prep for the G1 Longines Sheema Classic and the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal a prep for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. The G3 Burj Nahaar, over the same course and distance as the G2 Godolphin Mile, is also staged, as is the Listed Al Bastakiya, in which the UAE’s top three-year-olds will compete for a spot in the G2 UAE Derby. The best turf sprinters will clash in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, which was won last year by Godolphin’s Final Song over 1200 meters.
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The packed card also features a new race, the $300,000 Ras Al Khor, over 1400 metres on turf, in which trainer Charlie Appleby is likely to have a strong hand, while the UAE’s best Arabians clash in G1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3, the prep for the $1million Dubai Kahayla Classic.
The embellished program for Super Saturday also includes the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Horseracing Excellence Awards, which will recognize leaders in the sport across 8 categories, including Best Horse, Best Trainer, Jockey and the People’s Choice Award. Meydan Racecourse grandstand will also stage day one of the second edition of the Dubai Equestrian Procurement Forum, which welcomes leading industry figures from around the world.
Noting the exciting agenda, HE Major General Dr Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Board Member and General Manager of Dubai Racing Club and Dubai Equestrian Club said: “We are very excited about this year’s enhanced Super Saturday card, as well as, some top-class racing, including two Group 1s, we stage the sixth edition of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Horseracing Excellence Awards and look forward to welcoming the winners from around the world.
“We also host the second edition of the Dubai Equestrian Procurement Forum, in which we hope to build on the very successful first version in 2021.
On the continued support of Emirates Airline, Al Adhab added:
“Emirates Airline have been with us right throughout the history of this prestigious meeting and we are delighted to have them onboard for this latest edition of Super Saturday.
“After a difficult two years for aviation, Emirates continues to shine as the world’s leading airline and a hugely important supporter of horse racing the world over. We hope they and their guests have an enjoyable and safe day of racing.”
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates is proud to again be sponsoring the Super Saturday races, as part of our long-standing support to the growth and development of horse racing and equestrian sports in our home base of Dubai. We’re also honored that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Horse Racing Excellence Awards will also be presented during these races, recognizing the best in horseracing, and cultivating the highest standards in the sport.”
