2010 Dubai World Cup

The 2010 Dubai World Cup was hosted at the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday, 27 March 2010. It proved to be a race everyone will remember for years to come. There has never been a closer finish since the race was inaugurated in 1996. With a purse of $10 million, the Dubai World Cup attracts the elite of the racing community, with previous winners including legendary horses such as Curlin and Well Armed. This year, however, the Brazilian bred Gloria De Campeao won the Dubai World Cup by a mere nose.

As the gates swung open for the running of the 2010 Dubai World Cup, Gio Ponte and Gitano Hernando were sent off as the race favorites. They did not feature much throughout the race, as the Dubai World Cup came down to three competitors. It was such a close win, that there was a little confusion over the victory. Lizard’s Desire, ridden by Kevin Shea, and trained by Mike De Kock, were congratulated as the horses crossed the finish line, as it seemed that they had won, but when looking at the photo finish, it was clear that Gloria De Campeao and jockey Tiago Pereira, had actually captured the victory.

It was an extremely tight race, right from the start. Jockeys were not giving up positions and fought for the gaps that arose. Many horses found themselves trapped in their positions and unable to challenge for a winning position. When it came down to the last of the race, there were three horses battling for supremacy, namely Lizard’s Desire, Gloria De Campeao and Allybar. The narrow victory of Gloria De Campeao left Pereira stunned and he commented after the race that it was the most memorable victory of his racing career. Gloria De Campeao trainer, Pascal Bary, shared his elation, stating that the win proved that his horse has heart, and that once Gloria De Campeao has set his sights on a victory, he is very hard to beat. The Dubai World Cup 2010 ended in a spectacular fashion with nail-biting horse racing action and a victory few will forget.