Starry Night

by Erley Turk

A training triple, riding double, and a singularly outstanding performance highlighted the 2000 Dubai World Cup night. Oh, and U.S. $12,000,000 in purse money was also given away.

REHEARSAL

There is something in common when looking back at the first four runnings of the Dubai World Cup (DWC): each of the races has featured a horse that could legitimately be called "Horse of the World" by the end of the season. In 1996 it was Cigar edging out Soul of the Matter; Singspiel defeated Siphon a year later; Swain missed by a nose in scoring a victory over Silver Charm in 1998; and last year saw Daylami finish fifth to Al Mutawakel. Will the tradition continue with this year's renewal? We'll have to wait several more months for the answer, but one horse emerged to contest for the honor.

OVERTURE

The millennium year 2000 witnessed a major transformation of the entire DWC race card which is now conducted on a major scale. The DWC Committee altered the distance and surface of some races, changed their names, and most significantly, raised the purses to hefty levels. The result struck the right chord with horsemen as over 400 horses were nominated from five continents to the seven races. Instead of one mega-race, there was now a quartet of races worth at least a million U.S. dollars and a trio with purses that would be the envy of some other race tracks around the world. For the record, the evening's arrangement consisted of:

No, my good friend, your eyes do not deceive you; the total purses amounted to $12,000,000 for a mere one night's racing. Oh, and to paraphrase Sheikh Mohammad, the creator of the DWC concept, "you ain't seen nothing yet" (more about that later.)

As mentioned, the increased purses attracted a substantial number of nominations. Eventually over 50 horses representing 11 countries showed up to compete against the hometown Dubai representatives. Sadly, injuries to such stars as the U.S. dual-classic winner Real Quiet and Breeders' Cup Turf second Royal Anthem prevented their appearance and there were late withdrawals of Malek (DWC) and British sprint sensation Rudi's Pet (Golden Shaheen.) Another minor disappointment was the absence of U.S. notables such as General Challenge (who races poorly outside of California) and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Cat Thief (c'mon trainer D. Wayne Lukas-give racing outside America a shot!)

ACT I

The DWC is the curtain raiser of the Emirates World Series Racing Championship which is a series of 11 horse races held around the world. The series has been orchestrated so that these races are among the most prestigious of their kind; they all carry Grade/Group I status and have at least $1,000,000 in purse money. All being well, France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be represented next year. Emirates Airlines is the sponsor and awards bonuses to the most successful horse, jockey, trainer and owner. [Readers can learn more information at www.racingseries.com].

Leading up to the DWC there were various prep races. Among the more noteworthy were: Behrens who scored an impressive win in Florida, Public Purse who won over the turf in California and Puerto Madero who was beaten two lengths into third (by General Challenge) also in California. The one race, which set the tone of excitement for the DWC evening, was held on March 2 in Dubai. Six horses lined up, and all eyes were on Dubai Millennium who was making his reappearance after a highly successful campaign last season. He lay off the early pace and then accelerated around the far turn for a four length win (that could have been more.) What caught the eye about this performance was his track record time of 1.59 3/5 for the 10 furlongs. The only key question was would he bounce? (After turning in a tremendous performance, a horse will sometimes run flat [or "bounce"] the next time out.)

Breakfast with the stars

Along with the increased presence of international horses in Dubai this year, there was a huge turnout of race fans from around the globe. Whereas two years ago few fans and media types attended the morning workout sessions, this year featured a new event: Breakfast With the Stars. The top brass of the DWC put this event on at 8 a.m., and over 1000 people were treated to a buffet breakfast. British broadcaster Derek Thompson provided commentary on the horses working out while his U.S. counterpart Chris Lincoln interviewed people ranging from jockey Frankie Dettori to Rolling Stone musician Ron Wood to former Melbourne Cup winner Subzero (I am not making this up.) Indeed, the DWC has become a prime spot for tour groups as racing clubs from Australia, Kenya, Ireland, Switzerland and other places were represented. Those interested in learning more about the DWC for a visit can log onto www.dubaiworldcup.com

Arabian Nights Desert Gala

If the DWC is the feature occasion of the week, then the annual Arabian Nights Extravaganza comes as the week's top social event. Transportation is provided as chartered buses travel 45 minutes to an invitation-only party held in the desert. Entertainment includes musicians, belly dancers, camel rides, and Arabs displaying various crafts from calligraphy to applying henna (a cosmetic dye) on women's hands and arms in flowery decorations. All the while, guests treat themselves to a large buffet of Middle Eastern food and enjoy eating it in one of five large tents. At any time one can have a casual conversation with various racing personalities such as jockeys Richard Hills and Alex Solis or trainers John Gosden and Elliott Walden.

INTERMISSION

The DWC is the highlight of the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival (www.mydsf.com). Most shops put their merchandise on sale and there are lots of malls in which to spend the day. Perhaps the top attraction is the gold souk where dozens of shops sell 18, 21, and 22-carat gold chains, bracelets, charms, bangles, necklaces and other jewelry items. Even if one doesn't buy, this souk is still worth a visit for its glittering display.

7 Star Burj Al Arab Hotel

There are plenty of other ways to spend time (when the horses aren't running) with plenty of street fairs, carpet exhibitions, a nightly concert that features a sound, laser-light and water show capped off by a stunning fireworks display, and other attractions too numerous to mention. An annual favorite continues to be the Global Village where representatives of over 30 nations sell locally made handicrafts in booths and stalls in special pavilions earmarked for their country.

As Dubai does not get a lot of revenues from oil production, it has made a strong pitch for tourism. In the winter there is the Duty Free Open for tennis fans, the Desert Classic for followers of golf and the Grand Prix powerboat race. Do not be surprised if the country hosts a Formula One car race in the future.

A special treat this year was the tour of the Burj Al Arab hotel that actually makes the rest of the five-star hotels in the world look minor by comparison. The reason is simple: the Burj Al Arab is the world's first and only seven-star hotel. It does not offer rooms in the traditional sense. Rather, guests stay in one of 202 suites that range from $1000-$10,000 a night. This beautiful structure (it seems an insult to refer to the Burj Al Arab as a "hotel") was built on the water; a bridge connects it to the mainland. One could write an entire book about this place; one paragraph hardly does it justice. If you visit there is a charge of about $13- which you get back in the form of a credit to be used in the lounge. If you stay then let me know.

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