Can Laurel River or Sierra Leone win 2025 Dubai World Cup?
The Dubai World Cup is one of the most prestigious and lucrative races in horse racing. Only the Saudi Cup has a bigger purse than the race at Meydan Racecourse in the UAE. Once again, the latest running of the middle-distance contest is expected to attract some of the best dirt horses from around the world.
Leading American-bred horses, Laurel River and Sierra Leone, are two of the runners that have an excellent chance of taking the first prize. The former won the race in 2024, while the latter prevailed in the Breeders’ Cup Classic back in November.
Defending Champion Bidding to Become Just Second Repeat Winner
Only one horse in history has won the Dubai World Cup more than once. Thunder Snow prevailed in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019 for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Since then, many have tried and failed to defend their crown.
Given how easily he won the race in 2024, Laurel River looks set to be a leading contender once again this year, despite his age. The seven-year-old blew his rivals away by just over eight lengths at Meydan to give Juddmonte their second victory in the race as owners.
The son of Into Mischief has not raced since his Dubai World Cup success but the plan has always been to return to the same race. He is likely to have one run at the Dubai World Cup Carnival to prepare him for the meeting’s feature contest. That may come in the Group Three Burj Nahaar in early March.
The Dubai World Cup is a race many owners in the sport of horse racing dream of winning, whether they are an outright owner or after buying horse race shares in a Flat runner. In the latter, the breeding of a horse is listed before purchasing so you can see if they have any family history of performing well on dirt. Last year’s Meydan winner is a son of a Group One dirt winner, so he has always had the potential to perform well on the surface.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner vying for Big Double
Sierra Leone prevailed in the feature dirt race at the Breeders’ Cup Championship last November when he landed the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Chad Brown’s runner became the first three-year-old to win that contest since Authentic in 2020.
Connections of Sierra Leone can be excited about their horse’s four-year-old campaign, as all the leading middle distance dirt races, including the Dubai World Cup, will be on their agenda. Their horse may not have stopped improving yet, so his best could still be to come.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby runner-up also has an entry in the Saudi Cup in Riyadh two months before the Dubai World Cup. If he lines up at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, it will be his first appearance outside of the United States. It could prove to be valuable experience ahead of the race at Meydan two months later.
The 2025 Dubai World Cup takes place on April 5, and it will be the 29th running of the esteemed dirt contest.
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