Handicappers from four continents will meet in London this week to analyse a world record number of entries for the Dubai World Cup meeting after second entries closed last week leaving 649 nominated for Dubai's greatest day of racing.
The handicappers will report their findings to the Dubai World Cup Committee who will then invite selected horses.
Second entries for the Group I Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates, and four of the supporting races on the programme closed last Wednesday and, collectively, the five events attracted just on 650 entries.
Geographically, the entries have come from far and wide with 19 different countries represented, from Brazil, Chile and Argentina in South America, to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, Germany, France and Britain in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in Oceania and Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore in Asia.
And again, a large contingent has been nominated from the United States with a strong representation expected in all races.
'We are absolutely thrilled, not only at the number of entries, but of the quality of entries and this further emphasises the Dubai World Cup's standing in international horse racing,' said Les Benton, Chairman of the Dubai World Cup Committee.
'With just on 650 entries it is a record that we have set and one that we are proud of however we will not sit back, we will continue to work hard to ensure that the very best of these entries makes their way to Nad Al Sheba on March 25.'
'We are particularly proud of the fact that these entries have come from countries throughout the world proving just how far news of the Dubai World Cup has spread in such a short space of time.'
The races which had second entries close last week were the Group I Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates, the US$2million Group III Dubai Duty Free, the US$2million Group III Dubai Sheema Classic, sponsored by the Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Ports Authority, the Listed US$1million Golden Shaheen, sponsored by Gulf News and the US$500,000 UAE Derby.
'And with entries still open for the Godolphin Mile and the Group I Dubai Kahayla Classic we expect the entries to go past 700, a record for a single day's racing,' Benton said.
One of the foreign entries has already landed in Dubai, the David Elsworth-trained Lear Spear has done well since his arrival and there is talk of him having a prep run in the Listed Dhs350,000 Maktoum Challenge third round, a race that could see him clash with Godolphin's Dubai Millennium.
Meanwhile at Abu Dhabi on Sunday night leading jockey Ted Durcan consolidate his position in the championship while Willie Supple and Richard Hills continued their relentless chases.
Supple is keen to defend his title won last season however Durcan's lead remains at 10 and with under 25 meetings to go, his rivals realise that only bad luck will stop him winning his first title.
Durcan won aboard the Purebred Arabian Moshakis for Satish Seemar while Supple took out the second thoroughbred event aboard the Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained Chivalric while Hills won on the Erwan Charpy-trained Furieux.
