Nine-year-old Dubai Future rolls in Dubai Gold Cup

After Dubai Future missed his entire eight-year-old campaign in 2024, the Godolphin homebred’s racing career appeared to be receding into the past. But the nine-year-old has turned back the clock this season for veteran trainer Saeed bin Suroor, kicking off the Thoroughbred action on Dubai World Cup night with an emphatic display in Saturday’s $1 million Dubai Gold Cup (G2) at Meydan.

Dubai Future’s signature win had come in the 2022 Bahrain International Trophy (G3) at about 1 1/4 miles, and he was an unknown quantity over this trip of two metric miles. Yet his comeback romp in the local prep, the Feb. 21 Nad al Sheba Trophy (G3) over 2,800 meters (about 1 3/4 miles), implied that he could handle the extra quarter-mile. The bigger question was how he’d stack up against stayers proven at a higher level, led by fellow Godolphin colorbearer Trawlerman, the 5-2 favorite.

Sent off at 9-2 with a returning Silvestre de Sousa, Dubai Future was settled well off the sedate pace set by Trawlerman. French raider Double Major attended Trawlerman early and challenged at the top of the stretch, flanked by Epic Poet. 

Moving best of all wider out was Dubai Future, who outkicked them and swept to a 2 1/4-length victory in a final time of 3:21.50. The son of Dubawi returned $11.40 stateside.

Double Major was second-best by 1 1/4 lengths from Epic Poet, with bin Suroor’s other runner, Passion and Glory along for fourth. Trawlerman faded to fifth, followed by Trafalgar Square, Term of Endearment, Al Nayyir, Continuous, and Straight.

Dubai Future’s resume now reads 32-9-7-3, including scores in the 2021 Meydan Cup and the 2022 Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot, the Dubai Racing Club Classic, and the aforementioned Bahrain International Trophy, prior to his remarkable exploits in 2025. The bay gelding has placed in eight stakes, chief among them the 2021 Dubai City of Gold (G2), 2022 York (G2), and 2023 Al Rashidiya (G2). 

The British-bred is out of Grade 2 vixen Anjaz, a daughter of Street Cry and Group 1 star Playful Act. Dubai Future is thereby closely related to last year’s Epsom Oaks (G1) runner-up Dance Sequence as well as highweight German stayer Ispolini, who was second in the 2019 Dubai Gold Cup.