Dubai World Cup (Group 1)

FOREVER Young came up a little short in his attempt to add the Dubai World Cup to his Saudi Cup and Breeders’ Cup victories last Saturday.

In what was the 30th running of the race, now worth $12 million, the Japanese-trained five-year-old tracked the front-running Magnitude in the 10-furlong dirt contest but could not get to the American-trained winner who held on to score by a length. The pair finished almost three lengths ahead of Meydaan, trained by the Crisfords.

Magnitude is a four-year-old by top US sire Not This Time. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the colt was a genuine Triple Crown contender last year, but missed the Kentucky Derby and the other classics. He came to Dubai on the back of an impressive Grade 3 win at Oaklawn Park and had previously beaten Hit Show, the 2025 Dubai World Cup winner.

Winning jockey, Jose Ortiz said: “He didn’t have a running start, but he jumped well and I knew it was time to go. I asked him to run and he was there for me.”

Asmussen, who took the 2008 World Cup with Curlin and sent out Gun Runner to be second in 2017, added: “The horse is running with a lot of confidence and that gave us confidence. It unfolded just how we wanted it to.”

Forever Young’s trainer Yoshito Yahagi believes that the Meydan track “doesn’t seem to suit” his horse, having finished third in the Dubai World Cup last year. He did win the Group 2 UAE Derby on the track in 2024, but it was a workmanlike success that rated below the rest of his performances at three. “Everything went the way we planned, but the winner was good today,” said Forever Young’s regular partner Ryusei Sakai.