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2026 Dubai Turf Runners Guide – Ombudsman To Give Gosdens Fourth Win

Kyle CurranKyle Curran
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Dubai World Cup night is shortly upon us so check out our Dubai Turf runners guide as Ombudsman looks to give John Gosden a fourth win in the race. 

Ombudsman To Face 10 Rivals In Dubai Turf

The Dubai Turf is a race with rich history.

It was first run on the dirt when originally named the Dubai Duty Free and it was over 1m2f. However, it was transferred to turf four years later in 2000 and the distance was cut by one furlong.

Much like the Dubai World Cup prize money, there is plenty up for grabs for connections who win the Dubai turf. The winner will receive £2,148,148.

Who Won The 2025 Dubai Turf?

Last year’s race was one by Japanese seven-year-old SOUL RUSH, who ran down hot favourite Romantic Warrior to win by just a nose.

Italian jockey Cristian Demuro produced the horse with a perfeclty timed ride, giving Japan a seventh win in the race.

WATCH: Soul Rush Wins 2025 Dubai Turf

Godolphin Have Won The Race More Than Anyone Else

Good news for fans of hot favourite Ombudsman is that his owners Godolphin have won the race more than anyone else.

Godolphin have won the Dubai Turf four times, although they haven’t done so since 2018.

Tamayaz was the first horse to win the Dubai Turf in the famous royal blue silks under Frankie Dettori. They would win it again the following year with Annus Mirabilis, this time Gary Stevens was in the saddle.

Godolphin would have to wait 15 years before their next success as Sajjha took home the 2013 crown thanks to Silvestre de Sousa’s ride.

It would be another five years before they won it again as Oisin Murphy steered Benbatl to glory. Interestingly, four different jockeys won the race in the same silks.

William Buick takes the ride on Ombudsman this time around, having partnered the horse on four of his six wins.

Training all four of those Godolphin Dubai Turf winners, Saeed bin Suroor has enjoyed plenty of success in the race over the years with six wins in total.

WATCH: Benbatl Wins 2018 Dubai Turf For Godolphin

John Gosden Won The Race Three Years In A Row With Lord North

John & Thady Gosden will be hopeful ahead of Saturday’s race as the yard has won the race three times. Lord North was successful three times on the bounce, albeit with a dead-heat in the middle of it.

His first win came in 2021 by three lenghts, before he dead-heated with Japanese runner Panthalassa in 2022. Dettori would go on to get the hat-trick up in 2023. Dubai turf runners always had a chance with Frankie in the plate.

WATCH: Lord North Wins First Dubai Turf

Dubai Turf Runners 2026 – Ombudsman The One To Beat

OMBUDSMAN‘s five-year-old season will get underway in the Dubai Turf on Saturday and he’s undoubtedly the most talented horse in the field and the one they all have to beat.

The Godolphin-owned horse had an unbeaten three-year-old campaign in 2023 and last season he had form figures of 2-1-2-1-2.

He started his four-year-old season as a beaten favourite when finishing second to Almaqam in a Group 3 at Sandown but he repaid punters with an impressive victory in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Next he would head to the Coral Eclipse at Sandown where he was desperately unlucky to lose out by a neck to Aiden O’Brien’s Delacroix.

But he would get revenge when the pair met the next time at York. It was another impressive performance as he landed the Juddmonte International, beating Delacroix by three-and-a-half lenghts.

He would run one more time after that in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, but he found Calandagan, who lines up in the Sheema Classic, just too good.

Should be far too good for this field taken he adapts well to Meydan on his first run in the Middle East.

WATCH: Ombudsman Wins Juddmonte International

Best Of The Rest – 2026 Dubai Turf Runners

With Ombudsman covered, who does he have to beat?

Next in the betting comes Facteur Cheval who won this race in 2024. He also finished sixth in the race last year and only lost by just over three lengths. This French horse ran well in a prep run at Riyadh in January and should be primed and ready for a third run in the race.

Given Japanese horses have won the Dubai Turf seven times over the years, their sole representative Gaia Force has to be respected with top jockey Ryusei Sakai in the saddle, although he wouldn’t have the most attractive profile for a race of this nature.

Simon & Ed Crisford’s Quddwah has enjoyed two Group 2 wins at Meydan over the winter but he might find a few of these too good for him. Ryan Moore rides though, so that’s a positive.

Fort George, Elnajmm and Dividend have all won in Meydan this year so have every right to challenge for the places, but they’re unlikely to threaten the favourite.

Whilst Meydan doesn’t make the ITV Racing schedule this weekend, it can be followed live on both Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing.

Kyle Curran

Kyle Curran

Kyle Curran is a horse racing journalist with years of experience covering top events in the calendar. He has an eye for a strong form line and has a particular love for the jumps. When not writing about the sport he loves, Kyle can be found travelling around the top horse racing meetings around the UK and Ireland. Kyle also specialises in PR and Exclusive Interviews.

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