The Dubai Racing Carnival receives more than 300 applications from 19 countries
Dubai, November 26 / WAM / The Dubai Racing Club announced that the Dubai Racing Carnival for the 2025-2026 season has received more than 300 applications for participation from 19 countries, which reflects one of the strongest editions in the history of the event, which continues for 16 weeks at the Meydan International Racecourse, and its competitions began on November 7 of this year.
Meydan Racecourse will witness 3 races during the Dubai Racing Carnival season during the month of December on Fridays 5, 12 and 19, where the activities conclude with the “Festive Friday” race, the first major racing evening of the season, which hosts the two category 2 races for purebred hybrid horses: “Al Maktoum Mile Award” and “Al Rashidiya Award”.
The carnival has so far witnessed the arrival of horses from the United Kingdom, Denmark and Norway, while Dubai awaits more prominent participation in the coming weeks.
British trainer Jimmy Osborne was one of the first to arrive with his horses, led by “Heart of Honor”, who ranked second in the UAE Derby (Class Two) and fifth in the Preakness (Class One), while Norwegian trainer Nils Petersen fielded 11 horses, including the Norwegian Derby champion “War Sox”.
Czech trainer Miroslav Neslanek, known for his international participation with the fast horse “Pontus,” also returned to participate with six horses, while Danish Veronika Jandova arrived with seven horses, most notably “Hans Andersen,” who won a race in one of the categories (Listed) after his return from Dubai last season.
British trainer Phil Spencer and his financier Phil Cunningham confirmed their early presence at the carnival with a team that includes 10 horses under the umbrella of “Rebel Racing”, including the champions “Two Tribes”, winner of the Steward Cup at Goodwood, and “Run Boy Run”, champion of the Ayr Gold Cup.
The carnival continues until March, before the upcoming summit of the 30th Dubai World Cup on March 28.
A number of trainers are preparing to direct their horses to advanced participations, as “Holloway Boy” is participating in the third Jebel Hatta Race (Class 1) as part of a team of 5 horses coached by Carl Burke, while “Epic Poet” is participating in the third Dubai Gold Cup (Class 2) under the supervision of David O’Meara.
Erwan Charpy, Director of Racing Operations and International Relations at the Dubai Racing Club, said that the great turnout strengthens Dubai’s position as a global center for horse racing, stressing that the infrastructure and racing program continue to develop year after year.
He added that the presence of this number of horses classified in the first category gives great momentum to the carnival competitions, welcoming all participants and wishing them success.
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