An eight-strong army from Japan takes on a superstar from the US and a fast improver from Britain in a high-class and dazzlingly international renewal of the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday. Last year’s winner Country Grammer renews rivalry with his Saudi Cup conqueror Panthalassa, with track specialist Algiers adding spice to the mix and G1 Japan Cup winner Vela Azul a surface-switching wildcard as the field battles for a $12 million purse. Odds are from Jazz racebook.
2023 Dubai World Cup
G1, $12,000,000, 1m 2f dirt, 4yo+, 8.35am ET
More of the same. The Dubai World Cup, the highlight of a glittering, stakes-heavy, dollar-rich card at Meydan on Saturday, is almost a straight re-run of last month’s Saudi Cup, with eight of the first nine home in Riyadh coming together again for another fascinating, thrilling duel in the desert.
The fundamental differences between the two races – an extra furlong today, a slightly different surface, a new major player on the stage – will change the dynamic, but the best place to start is still the Saudi Cup, which featured today’s favorite and the leading hopes among an eight-strong Japanese contingent.
The nine-furlong G1 Saudi Cup was won in upset fashion by Panthalassa (+700), who went coast-to-coast to claim his first victory on dirt, pulling out enough in the last half-furlong to turn back the late charge of Country Grammer (+200) by three-quarters of a length.
Behind them were Cafe Pharoah (+1200), a rallying third beaten another half-length, Geoglyph (+1200), who chased the pace on his dirt debut before fading close home to be beaten a head into fourth, Crown Pride (+1800), who looked a potential winner three-sixteenths out but flattened into fifth, Emblem Road (+2200) in sixth, Jun Light Bolt (+1700) in seventh, and Remorse (+6000) ninth.
The superfecta horses are the ones to take from the race. Panthalassa was a G1 winner on turf before making the switch, and he was assisted by being allowed to do his own thing on the lead, the other jockeys letting a 16-1 turf horse go in the mistaken belief that he’d come back to the field.
The extra yardage here is not a positive – he has won in lesser company over ten furlongs but he wouldn’t have hung on much longer in the Saudi Cup, and his preferred trailblazing tactics could render him vulnerable in deep stretch. One interesting point to note is that victory would make Panthalassa the biggest prize-money earner in racing history.
Conversely, the tenth furlong is right up Country Grammer’s street, as he has shown several times including when victorious in this race 12 months ago when he surged to the lead inside the final furlong and kept on strongly.
He rallied from an absolute mile back in the Saudi Cup – seventh at the top of the lane – and just came up short, and although it probably wasn’t Frankie Dettori’s finest hour in the saddle the pair usually work well together. Country Grammer holds his form very well, will be coming late on the scene again, and is the one to beat with everything seemingly in his favor.
Cafe Pharoah was given an excellent ride by Joao ‘Magic Man’ Moreira, who saved ground on the doubtful stayer – his best form had come at a mile – and gave him every chance of getting home. He finished off his race well but not nearly as strongly as Country Grammer, and it wasn’t obvious that he was looking for another furlong, but it was a considerable improvement on his previous record and he’s likely to go well again, although he needs to do more.
Geoglyph had no kick and has won a G1 on firm turf over ten furlongs, so might be helped by going longer, and with only nine starts to his name there’s still the potential for him to move forward. Perhaps racing further away from the speed might help and he is certainly one for exotics players to consider.
Other Dubai World Cup contenders to take a look at
New faces, big potential
No British-trained horse has won the Dubai World Cup since 1997, but that could change because Algiers (+250) has an excellent chance on what will be his first attempt at G1 level.
He was nowhere near this level in Britain but has improved enormously in Dubai this winter, winning a G2 over a mile by six and a half lengths and then beating Bendoog (+6000) by six lengths in another G2, this one over a mile and three-sixteenths, in which Remorse was two and a half lengths back in third and Salute The Soldier (+2500) a well-beaten fifth.
That was visually very impressive, although it wasn’t a particularly strong contest, and there’s evidently something about Meydan that brings out the best in him. He was beaten a short head in a stakes over ten furlongs at Lingfield in November, so the distance is no issue, but this is the toughest test of his career against hardened G1 campaigners and his odds are on the short side based purely on his form.
Salute The Soldier went on to beat Bendoog by two lengths in a pretty weakly contested G1 over course and distance, the same race he won before finishing fifth behind Mystic Guide in the 2021 Dubai World Cup, which was itself a poor renewal. He’s eight now and it’s hard to see him getting involved.
There’s a wildcard in the shape of G1 Japan Cup winner Vela Azul (+800), who is an ace on turf and stays a mile and a half really well, but although he has won on dirt those victories came a long time ago at a much lower level. He’s clearly a much better horse now, but ten furlongs on dirt is a long way out of his comfort zone.
His compatriots Ushba Tesoro (+1000) and T O Keynes (+1100) were separated by a half-length when they filled the exacta in a stakes at Kawasaki over a mile and five-sixteenths, and could be out of their depth in this much deeper water. That also applies to Super Corinto (+5000), a G1 winner in Chile whose victory in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in December leaves him a long way short of the required level.
Dubai World Cup Betting Odds & Prediction
Prediction Last year’s winner COUNTRY GRAMMER can go back-to-back, with the extra furlong giving him a great chance of turning the tables on Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa. Cafe Pharoah and Geoglyph have strong place claims at value odds.
| HORSE | ODDS BY JAZZSPORTS |
| Algiers (IRE) | +250 |
| Country Grammer (USA) | +200 |
| Panthalassa (JPN) | +700 |
| Ushba Tesoro (JPN) | +1000 |
| T O Keynes (JPN) | +1100 |
| Cafe Pharoah (USA) | +1200 |
| Vela Azul (JPN) | +800 |
| Geoglyph (JPN) | +1200 |
| Crown Pride (JPN) | +1800 |
| Jun Light Bolt (JPN) | +1700 |
| Emblem Road (USA) | +2200 |
| Bendoog (USA) | +6000 |
| Remorse (IRE) | +10000 |
| Salute The Soldier (GER) | +2500 |
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