Organizers of the horse race with the world's biggest purse, the Dubai World Cup, have laid claim to the title of the world's championship event, announcing 720 nominations for the night of March 23, News Interactive reported.
Les Benton, Dubai World Cup chairman, was quoted by the news service as saying that the seven races worth a combined $15.25 million had now become "the world championship day of horse racing."
"Since 1996, the Dubai World Cup has grown in stature to realize the aim of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum to host the premier event in world racing at Nadi Al Sheba,” Benton told a press conference at the desert track.
He explained that the seventh running of the event would include five group one events and two group two races.
A total of 22 countries are represented, including a massive 300 nominations from the United States, 157 from the United Arab Emirates and 62 from Britain. Turkey has nine nominations and the Czech Republic one.
"With what has occurred throughout the world over the last few months we are absolutely thrilled at what we have received and proud of the way the international racing community has unified to ensure the sport continues to expand," Benton said.
He noted an eight percent rise in total entries and a 17 percent rise in US nominations.
Final entries are due by Jan. 15, the report added.
The Dubai World Cup meeting is the center of massive international exposure for Dubai capturing an audience in the hundreds of millions.
The increasing quality of the Dubai World Cup itself is recorded by the post race average ratings for all starters in the event.
In a press release, the club said that the racing festival would be the single wealthiest race card in history, featuring the world's richest horse race, which is supported by the UAE Derby and the Dubai Kahayla Classic offering "Purebred Arabians their most valuable purse ever." – Albawaba.com
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