THE Dubai World Cup will be run on Saturday, March 25th next year, though the US$10 million race will have lost its claim to be the world’s richest race following the first running of a $12 million race organised by Frank Stronach.

The 62-day meeting for the UAE racing season was announced this week, with a significant change being made to the date of the double-header normally staged during the first weekend in March. This now moves to February 9th and 11th, while Super Saturday, the official prep for the Dubai World Cup meeting, will be run on March 4th.

Together with the Dubai World Cup and the Carnival meetings, Meydan will race for a total of 20 days during the upcoming season. Abu Dhabi will stage 15 meetings during the period, followed by Jebel Ali with 11, Al Ain with 10 and Sharjah staging six. A number of these meetings will only feature a single thoroughbred race on the day. The first meeting of the season, at Jebel Ali, will take place on Friday, October 28th.

H.H.Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority, announced the new calendar of races on Monday, saying: “We offer racing for domestic and international horses in both the thoroughbred and purebred Arabian ranks and look forward to the start of another successful season of racing. Spectators and racing aficionados will be treated to yet another renewal of a top quality flat racing season where the best horses, jockey, owners and trainers will be contesting for success in the meetings held at the country’s best racecourses.”