Dubai Racing Club on Sunday announced the launch of “Meydan Masters,” an
international jockeys’ challenge to be held on March 5 at the new Meydan
Racecourse.
Held during the Dubai International Racing Carnival (DIRC), the “Meydan
Masters” will add to its global appeal by featuring winning jockeys from the
world’s 11 premier races of 2009. In addition to the winning jockeys of these
leading races, the Dubai Racing Club will also issue a special invitation to
another rider to bring the number to a perfect dozen.
“The races we have identified have been won by jockeys that are true masters
of their craft and we are very excited about this initiative,” Dubai Racing Club
CEO Frank Gabriel said. “We look forward to celebrating what will surely be a
fantastic opening season at the Meydan Racecourse.
“The opening of Meydan will be history in the making and what better way to
show that than by having 12 of the world’s best riders, who have excelled this
year, all competing against one another at the Meydan racetrack. The Meydan
Masters will be unique because of its group of cosmopolitan jockeys.”
The riders are:
| Championship Race | Country | Horse | Jockey | |||
| Dubai World Cup | UAE | Well Armed | Aaron Gryder | |||
| Dubai Sheema Classic | UAE | Eastern Anthem | Ahmed Ajtebi | |||
| Kentucky Derby | USA | Mine That Bird | Calvin Borel | |||
| Tokyo Yushun (Japanese
Derby) |
Japan | Logi Universe | Norihiro Yokoyama | |||
| Epsom Derby* | GB | Sea the Stars | Michael Kinane* | |||
| King George VI & Queen
Elizabeth S. |
GB | Conduit (Ire) | Ryan Moore | |||
| Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe** | France | Sea the Stars | Michael Kinane** | |||
| Irish Derby | Ireland | Fame and Glory | John Murtagh | |||
| Melbourne Cup | Australia | Shocking | Corey Brown | |||
| Breeders’ Cup Classic | USA | Zenyatta | Mike Smith | |||
| Hong Kong Cup | Hong Kong | Vision D’Etat | Olivier Peslier | |||
| *St Leger | GB | Mastery (GB) | Ted Durcan | |||
| ** Prix du Jockey Club | France | Le Havre | Christophe Lemaire |
Meydan board member Malih Lahej Al Basti said that the Meydan Masters will be
a competition with a difference.
“With racing now being so international, it is difficult to establish a
formula for which jockey should represent which country,” he explained. “Jockeys
now don’t necessarily ride full time in their home country. For example, does
Frankie Dettori represent Italy, or Darren Beadman and Douglas Whyte, who are so
successful in Hong Kong, represent Australia and South Africa respectively?
“With the Meydan Masters, these world-class jockeys will represent themselves
against their contemporaries from across the globe, those that excelled and
triumphed on the biggest stage throughout 2009.
“Of course, there could be one rider fortunate enough to win more than one of
the races we have identified, such as Frankie Dettori and Robby Albarado in
2007, in which case we have identified alternate races in the same jurisdiction
to invite another rider,” Al Basti added. “For instance, Michael Kinane was
invited courtesy of his Derby win, but having also won the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe, we have had to go to the alternate French race, the Prix du Jockey
Club and its winning rider, Christophe Lemaire.
“(Kinane’s) retirement means that we have also had to go to the alternate
race in England, which for 2010 was the St Leger and its winning rider, Ted
Durcan.”
The Meydan Masters will be held over four support races on the program that
features the recently upgraded Zabeel Mile, run for the first time in 2010 at
Group 2 level. It will close the Carnival and build up to the $10 million Dubai
World Cup on March 27.
The Meydan Masters will conclude six weeks of quality international horse
racing, comprising nine meetings and 18 group and listed races, beginning
with the opening round of the Al Maktoum Challenge (UAE-G3) on January 28.