DUBAI – One of the most prestigious Group 1 races at the Dubai World Cup meeting has a new sponsor, with DP World signing a five-year title sponsorship deal for the famed 1800m contest on turf.

The contest currently has a purse of $5 million and is ranked alongside the Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1) as the richest race on turf in the world.

The honour roll of previous winners includes two Mike de Kock-trained runners, Ipi Tombe (2003) and Right Approach (2004), Japanese galloper Admire Moon (2007), local hero Al Shemali (2010), international globetrotting star Presvis (2011) and last year’s runaway winner, Just A Way, from Japan.

Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, said: “We are proud supporters of Dubai as a premier destination for prestigious sporting events and have supported the European Tour’s ‘Race to Dubai’ golf championship for many years.

“We are delighted to join the impressive list of Pillar Partners for the 20th running of the world renowned Dubai World Cup. As an international company with operations across six continents, we are looking forward to connecting with the world through this important race, promoting Dubai as a centre of excellence for sport, tourism and trade.

“The Dubai World Cup has rapidly developed into a unique and hugely popular event on the global racing calendar at one of the world’s leading sporting venues. We are honoured to be sponsoring one of the major races on that night, the Group 1 Dubai Turf, and to support the event for the next five years in the run up to the World Expo in 2020.”

Meydan Group Chairman Saeed Al Tayer said: “DP World’s commitment to racing is a significant development for Meydan Group. As a renowned global company with a considerable interest in Dubai, their partnership represents the continued evolution of first-class horse racing in Dubai and the wider promotion of racing in Dubai and the UAE around the world.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome DP World to Meydan as a Pillar Partner, especially as we edge towards the landmark 20th running of Dubai World Cup day — the event that was responsible for placing Dubai on the global map back in 1996.” – Gulf News.