Ahead of Saturday’s big race in Meydan, see Andy Newton’s Dubai World Cup trends and stats from the last 15 runnings of the lucrative Group One.
You can use these stats and apply them to the 2026 Dubai World Cup runners – which will help to highlight the horses with the best winning profiles based on past results.
Dubai World Cup Trends 2026: Key Stats From The Last 15 Runnings 📈
- 15/15 – Raced in the last 8 weeks
- 14/15 – Previous Group/Grade 1 or 2 winners
- 12/15 – Placed 1st or 2nd in last race
- 12/15 – Ran in the last 4 weeks
- 11/15 – Won over 1m2f before
- 9/15 – Didn’t win last time out
- 9/15 – Aged 5 or older
- 9/15 – Favourites unplaced
- 9/15 – Previous Group/Grade 1 winners
- 9/15 – Officially rated between 119-123
- 8/15– Won at the track before
- 7/15 – Returned a double-figure price
- 7/15 – From stalls 5-8 (inclusive)
- 5/15 – Owned by Godolphin (9 wins in total)
- 4/15 – Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor (9 wins in total)
- 4/15 – Favourites (1 joint)
- 2/15 – Ridden by Christophe Soumillon
- Trainer Bob Baffert has won the race 4 times
- 11 of the last 13 winners came from stalls 6+
- The last 9 winners were aged between 4-6
Does Forever Young Tick The Dubai World Cup Trends 2026?
Twelve months ago, the Japanese-trained FOREVER YOUNG was sent off the red-hot favourite for the Dubai World Cup – but only managed third.
So, with another year under his belt and that experience – can the Yoshito Yahagi-trained 5yold go two places better?
Since that Dubai World Cup defeat, Forever Young has gone on a three-race winning streak – that included winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar and the Saudi Cup last time out (watch below)
Forever Young also heads into Saturday’s race rated 128 – and that’s a massive 10lbs clear of his nearest rival – Magnitude – and also 11lbs higher than the 2025 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show.
Hit Show will be looking to become only the second repeat Dubai World Cup winner (Thunder Snow, 2018 & 2019).
Therefore, despite flopping in the race last season, it’s no shock to see the best horse racing betting sites making Forever Young the hot jolly again in 2026.
With most betting firms pricing him up odds-on in the market.
He ticks a lot of the key Dubai World Cup trends too – including age (5), having run in the last eight weeks and finishing in the top two last time out.
However, those looking to go against Forever Young might look to the record of the favourites – with only FOUR winning market leaders in the last 15.
But, that said, three of these have come in the last seven renewals.
The Draw Could Be The Only Dubai World Cup Trend Against Forever Young
Once we know the Dubai World Cup draw, this could be the main thing to take on Forever Young with as he looks to win the Dubai World Cup prize money for the first time.
Why?
Well, 11 of the last 13 winners came from gate 6+ – while the last nine all came from stalls 4+.
Last year Forever Young came out of gate 5.
We’ll know what berth he gets later this week.
Trained Dubai World Cup Winners By Country 🌎
- 15/29 – Trained in USA (52%)
- 11/29 – Trained in GB (38%)
- 2/29 – Trained in Japan (7%)
- 1/29 – Trained in France (3%)
- 0/29 – Trained in Ireland (0%)
Most Dubai World Cup Wins: Trainer, Jockey and Owner 🏇
- Winning Most Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor (9 wins)
- Winning Most Jockey: Frankie Dettori & Jerry Bailey (4 wins)
- Winning Most Owner: Godolphin (9 wins)
Dubai World Cup Winners Since 2001 🏆
See below the Dubai World Cup winners since 2001.
With the country trained and ages in brackets, plus winning jockeys, trainers and betting odds.
- 2025 – Hit Show (USA) (5): Florent Geroux / Brad H Cox – 66/1
- 2024 -Laurel River (USA) (6): Tadhg O’Shea / Bhupat Seemar – 17/2
- 2023 – Ushba Tesoro (JPN) (6): Yuga Kawada / Noboru Takagi – 10/1
- 2022 – Country Grammer (USA) (5): L Dettori / Bob Baffert – 15/2
- 2021 – Mystic Guide (USA) (4): Luis Saez / Michael Stidham – 6/4 fav
- 2020 – Cancelled (Covid)
- 2019 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (5): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 4/1
- 2018 – Thunder Snow (UAE) (4): Christophe Soumillon / Saeed Bin Suroor – 8/1
- 2017 – Arrogate (USA) (4) : Mike E Smith / Bob Baffert – 1/3 (fav)
- 2016 – California Chrome (USA) (5) : Victor Espinoza / Art Sherman – 15/8 (jfav)
- 2015 – Prince Bishop (UAE) (8) : William Buick / Saeed Bin Suroor – 14/1
- 2014 – African Story (UAE) (7) : Silvestre de Sousa / Saeed Bin Suroor – 12/1
- 2013 – Animal Kingdom (USA) (5) : Joel Rosario/ Graham Motion – 11/2
- 2012 – Monterosso (UAE) (5): Mickael Barzalona/M Al Zarooni – 20/1
- 2011 – Victoire Pisa (JPN (4): Mirco Demuro/Katsuhiko Sumii – 12/1
- 2010 – Gloria de Campeao (FRA) (6): T. J. Pereira/Pascal Bary – 16/1
- 2009 – Well Armed (USA) (6): Aaron Gryder/Eoin G. Harty – 10/1
- 2008 – Curlin (USA) (4): Robby Albarado/Steve Asmussen – 4/11 (fav)
- 2007 – Invasor (USA) (5): Fernando Jara/K McLaughlin – 5/4 (fav)
- 2006 – Electrocutionist (UAE) (5): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 5/4 (fav)
- 2005 – Roses in May (USA) (5): John Velazquez/Dale Romans – 11/8 (fav)
- 2004 – Pleasantly Perfect (USA) (6): Alex Solis/Richard Mandella – 5/2
- 2003 – Moon Ballad (UAE) (4): Frankie Dettori/Saeed bin Suroor – 11/4
- 2002 – Street Cry (UAE) (4): Jerry Bailey/Saeed bin Suroor – 9/2
- 2001 – Captain Steve (USA) (4): Jerry Bailey/Bob Baffert – 7/4 (jfav)
WATCH: Hit Show Winning The 2025 Dubai World Cup
Dubai World Cup 2026 Race Details 🗓️
📅 Date: Saturday, 28th March 2026
⌚ Time: 5:30pm
🏇 Racecourse: Meydan
🔄 Trip: 1m 2f (2000m)
💷 Winning Purse: $7 million
📺 TV: Racing TV
Dubai World Cup History 📜
It’s now over 20 years since horse enthusiast and billionaire HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum first set out his vision—to create a bold, world-class racecourse in the heart of Dubai and draw the globe’s finest thoroughbreds to compete in the Dubai World Cup.
With the Dubai World Cup first run in 1996 and won by the classy US horse Cigar, who ‘smoked’ the opposition away.
Huge prize money has always been the key attraction for trainers worldwide, and with the main race purse raised from $6 million to a staggering $12 million purse this year, the meeting looks stronger than ever.
With the winner getting $7m.
A new chapter began in 2010, when the entire carnival moved to the newly built Meydan Racecourse, having previously been staged at Nad Al Sheba.
This striking, futuristic venue is said to have cost around $2 billion to build and can comfortably host crowds of up to 60,000.
With 10,000 parking spaces, it’s well set up for visitors, while the track itself spans 76 million square feet and features a 12-furlong turf course alongside an 8.75-furlong Tapeta (all-weather) track.
This year’s (2026) race is scheduled for Saturday, March 28—the finale of the Dubai Racing Carnival, which runs from January and includes around 10 meetings.
Last year the US-trained Brad Cox runner Hit Show caused a shock to win at 66/1 – giving the US horses their 15th win in the race since it was first run.
Saeed bin Suroor, who has now claimed this prize an extraordinary nine times since its inception in 1996—more than any other trainer.
Jerry Bailey and Frankie Dettori Have Won The Dubai World Cup Four Times Each
Among jockeys, Jerry Bailey and Frankie Dettori stands alone as the most successful in the race’s history with four wins.
With Dettori winning the race last in 2022 on the Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer – giving the US hall-of-famer his fourth win in the race.
Age-wise, all of the last nine Dubai World Cup winners were aged between 4 and 6
While only twice has a horse older than six taken the title—African Story in 2014 and Prince Bishop in 2015, the latter becoming the oldest winner in the race’s history at eight.
The fastest time ever recorded came from Dubai Millennium, who clocked 1:59.50 when winning in 2000 at Nad Al Sheba.
At Meydan, the benchmark belongs to Thunder Snow, who posted 2:01.38 in 2018.
So far, there has been just one British-trained winner—Sir Michael Stoute, whose Singspiel triumphed in 1997—and still no winner trained in Ireland.
Plus, two winners from Japan – Ushba Tesoro (2023) and Victoire Pisa (2011).
Godolphin Racing lead the way among owners with nine victories, while Saeed bin Suroor remains the dominant trainer with nine wins.
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