This weekend marks the start of the Dubai International Racing Carnival (DIRC) to be held for the first time at the new Meydan racecourse. The Carnival, which will culminate with the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race, on March 27th, offers a lot to horseplayers. According to Patrick Cummings of Dubai Race Nights, “Racing from Meydan will only take place during ten nights from January 28 through March 27. Dubai racing offers bettors three things: full fields, amazing value, and a taste of the exotic. The average field size for the 2009, ten-night Dubai International Racing Carnival was greater than 11 horses per race. I would expect that to increase in 2010. The average win mutuel was more than $23 and the $1 exacta returned more than $99. That is juicy!”

Cummings describes why Dubai’s horse racing has such a draw. “Dubai racing is so attractive because of Sheikh Mohammed and his vision for the sport. You will not find a man more dedicated to horse racing and his vision of horse racing is so profound. In the US, racing seems to be struggling for every inch of media coverage it can get, hanging on by a thread amongst an aging base of fans. While I think there are many things to improve in American racing, the overwhelming popularity of racing in Dubai really attracted me to immerse myself in racing from the Emirates.” Cummings adds, “Of course, there is more work involved as a result - horseplayers are confronted with unfamiliar trainers and jockeys, and race form that you don't see often in past performances. DubaiRaceNight.com tries to lend its expertise in following the Carnival with a close eye for the past four years. That being said, I even end up scratching my head sometimes. In my preparation for 2010, writing the Dubai Racing Comprehensive helped me hone all the data I had accumulated from 2009 and I think it might contain a few money-making angles too.”

Dubai Racing Comprehensive

Cummings’ site www.DubaiRaceNight.com, offers the 2010 Dubai Racing Comprehensive free to users who register. This e-book is a great resource for anyone considering wagering on the DIRC.

The 2010 Dubai Racing Comprehensive aims to prepare horseplayers for the 2010 DIRC. By compiling many of the essential details in one place, Cummings simplifies a handicapper’s work. Among other things, this primer covers Meydan’s all-weather Tapeta surface, on track tipping contest strategies, and reviews the 2009 DIRC results including trainer and jockey standings.

5 Tips for Contest Players

Contest players and international bettors will appreciate the specific details on the tips offered in the 2010 Dubai Racing Comprehensive. The 5 Tips offered are: 1) Avoid former American horses making their first starts for local connections, specifically in NON stakes races. 2) Be willing to let surprising DIRC winners surprise you again. 3) Godolphin might have a bigger home-court advantage than ever before. 4) Listen for tips – they are there! and 5) Favorites have performed better, later in the Carnival.


5 Horses to Watch

In the 2010 Dubai Racing Comprehensive, Cummings names 5 horses to watch: Zirconeum, IBN Battuta, Mensajera De La Luz, Askar Tau, and Dear Bela.

Different This Year

Regarding potential surprises to anticipate this year, Cummings commented, “Last year, the emergence of trainer Mubarak bin Shayfa was a real surprise but he has cooled off with his local starters so far this season. If trainers Saeed bin Suroor and Mike De Kock are not winning at least 35 percent of the races, I'd be shocked. Horses who arrive late to Dubai often do not succeed as much, acclimation to the surroundings tends to help, especially in races at the Carnival (not the World Cup so much). Thus, don't discount the local form as much.”

The new racecourse with its Tapeta surface deserves consideration from handicappers. “The addition of Tapeta adds an interesting wrinkle this year and I'm not quite sure what to expect. So, personally, I will tread lightly with my dollars over the first two nights of the Carnival unless something just stands out to me,” said Cummings.


Meydan City

“It is the sheer size that shocks,” remarked a reporter in a February 23 2009 article in the Telegraph, adding that the new Meydan racecourse is, “Big enough to be mistaken for an airport terminal, this huge structure measures Five, yes five, furlongs, end to end; almost 1,000 metres of promised luxury for a crowd, who may only see racing at the track six months of the year.” Furthermore, Mayden developers aim to create a destination in and of itself, and not just a spectacular horse racing venue. With an IMAX theatre, a business hub, luxury accommodations and a marina where yachts can park to enjoy the races, Meydan represents an almost futuristic ideal of what a horse racing destination can be. In addition to the size of the racecourse, visitors can expect “unparalleled levels of luxury, customer comfort and racing technology” according to the Meydan City website. The website also asserts that the racecourse, which will hold 60,000, “will become the new home of the Dubai World Cup, and as such, the new global home for elite horseracing. It will attract the best thoroughbreds, owners and racing nobility from around the world.”


More Information

DubaiRaceNight.com is a great starting place for learning about, preparing for, and staying current on news regarding the DIRC. DubaiRaceNight.com regularly monitors news on the DIRC and will have a reporter blogging live from Meydan each night of the Carnival.