Romantic Warrior, Shin Emperor, Danon Decile, Facteur Cheval, Continuous and El Kodigo are among a host of turf stars who remain in contention for the US$12 million G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m) on dirt after entries were announced on Tuesday.
Entries for the nine-race card, to be contested on April 5 at Meydan, feature 885 horses from 20 countries with a total of 1,383 nominations between them. Among them are 147 horses from Japan – second only behind the home team with 382 entered as United Arab Emirates-trained – as well as 122 from the United States, 69 from Saudi Arabia and 53 from the United Kingdom.
Of the top six horses in training from the 2024 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, four are entered: defending champion Laurel River in the Dubai World Cup as well as the G2 Godolphin Mile (1600m), European stars Calandagan and Goliath in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) and the world’s highest earning horse of all time, Romantic Warrior, who holds nominations for both the World Cup and the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m).
American Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna is entered for the World Cup, as is last weekend’s G1 Pegasus World Cup (9f) winner White Abarrio.


A total of 66 horses have been entered for the Dubai World Cup as well as one or both of the turf features, the Dubai Sheema Classic or the Dubai Turf. The vast majority are locals or from Saudi Arabia, but 11 of them represent other countries.
Among them is Tokyo Yushun winner Danon Decile, who returned to form by taking Sunday’s G2 American Jockey Club Cup (2200m) at Nakayama.
The Shogo Yasuda-trained four-year-old has been given first preference for the Dubai World Cup, having also been entered for the Sheema Classic, and would become the first Japanese Derby winner to contest the dirt feature since Eishin Flash finished sixth in 2012. Danon Decile’s sire Epiphaneia ran last behind Prince Bishop in 2015 at his only run on dirt.
His stablemate Desierto is also given first preference for the Dubai World Cup but the Group 3 winner is entered for the Dubai Turf as a back-up.
Tokyo Yushun third Shin Emperor is also set to continue on his globetrotting ways, having raced in both Ireland and France last year. The last-start Japan Cup runner-up has the Sheema Classic as his likely target, the Dubai World Cup his second preference and the Dubai Turf third.
Romantic Warrior won over the Dubai Turf course and distance last week, taking the G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) to win at the highest level in a fourth country. Trainer Danny Shum has indicated that the Dubai Turf is his most likely race on the card, but he is also entered for the Dubai World Cup in case he wins the US$20 million G1 Saudi Cup (1800m) in Riyadh next month.

Last year’s Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval is also set for the Saudi Cup before a decision is made on his participation in the Dubai World Cup or the Dubai Turf. He made his dirt debut last week in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge (1900m), finishing third to another dual surface entrant in Walk Of Stars. Key Of Luck and Panthalassa are the only two Dubai Turf winners to take their chance in the World Cup the following year.
Continuous, winner of the 2023 English St Leger, needs to put a lacklustre four-year-old season behind him. The World Cup is one of three entries he holds in addition to the Sheema Classic and the G2 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m).
Also among them is Argentina’s top older horse El Kodigo, who is in the process of being acquired by Middle East owners for an ambitious bid at both the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup. As a back-up, he is entered for the Sheema Classic.

Intense For Me, El Kodigo’s conqueror in the G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini at San Isidro last month, is entered for the Dubai World Cup and the Dubai Turf, as is three-year-old Suablenanav Th, third last start behind El Kodigo in the G1 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez at Maronas in Uruguay.
Others entered on both turf and dirt include Korean Grand Prix winner Global Hit and Coolmore pacemaker-turned-Danish representative Hans Andersen.
Laurel River and Facteur Cheval are among seven of last year’s winners who are entered again this year, including purebred Arabian Tilal Al Khalediah, victorious in the G1 Dubai Kahayla Classic (2000m).
Rebel’s Romance will aim for his third win at this meeting, having taken the G2 UAE Derby (1900m) on dirt in 2022 and the Sheema Classic – the race for which he is entered this year – 12 months ago.
Forever Young, winner of the UAE Derby, will return for the Dubai World Cup where he could face two other Derby winners: Derma Sotogake (2023) and Crown Pride (2022).


Last year’s runaway G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) winner Tuz is on track to defend his title after the “Russian Frankel” took out the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint (1200m) at the course and distance last week, while California Spangle is badly out of form but could return for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) down the straight.
California Spangle is one of 10 Hong Kong entries, primarily sprinters, as a number look to steer clear of emerging superstar Ka Ying Rising.
Five horses from Australia are entered. While Melbourne Cup placegetter Okita Soushi (entered for the Sheema Classic and Dubai Gold Cup) and G1 Moir Stakes winner Mornington Glory (nominated for the Al Quoz Sprint) are considered highly unlikely to travel, high class mare I Am Me is a likely Al Quoz runner as she plots a path to Royal Ascot in June.
For the first time in a decade, a South African Group 1 winner is set to make an appearance at the meeting. Isivunguvungu, winner of the G1 Computaform Sprint (1000m) and the G1 Mercury Sprint (1200m) in 2023, is entered for the Al Quoz Sprint for American trainer Graham Motion.
The Dubai World Cup meeting will be hosted in April for just the second time, having been postponed five days in 1997 due to torrential rain ∎