Dubai World Cup: Country Grammer can give Dettori the perfect swansong at Meydan

Dubai World Cup: Country Grammer can give Dettori the perfect swansong at Meydan

The World Cup field is headed by Country Grammer, victorious 12 months ago and seeking to make history as only the second horse to win the great race twice, after Thunder Snow in 2018-2019

Country Grammer. — Dubai Racing Club

Published: Sat 25 Mar 2023, 12:46 AM

If you like your sport with a generous dose of adrenaline, then Saturday’s 27th edition of the $12 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates, has the potential to serve up an absolute thriller at the iconic Meydan Racecourse.

A field of 15 horses, just one short of the maximum field, will face the starter Shayne Ryan before bursting from the gates in front of the racecourse’s towering Grandstand, to deliver two minutes of unsettling suspense and excitement.

There will be many subplots but the overall theme of the 2,000-metre dirt contest is a monumental battle between Japan and the Rest of the World, the likes of which have never been seen before in the sport’s long and colourful history.

Fuelled by burgeoning global successes and highlighted by Panthalassa’s stunning victory in last month’s $20 million Saudi Cup, Japanese connections have descended on Dubai en masse. As many as 27 runners will represent the Land of the Rising Sun