Al Maktoum Challenge (thoroughbreds)

The Al Maktoum Challenge, is a horse race run over a distance of 1,900 metres (approximately one and three-sixteenth miles) on dirt in late January at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The event was known as Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 3 and was the third of three races in the Al Maktoum Challenge series which serve as trial races for the Dubai World Cup but was renamed in 2024

Al Maktoum Challenge
Group One race
LocationMeydan Racecourse
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Inaugurated1994
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1,900 metres
SurfaceDirt
TrackLeft-handed
Purse$1,000,000 (2024)

It was first run in 1994 on dirt at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. It was transferred to Meydan in 2010 where it was run on the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface. In 2015 the synthetic surface at Meydan was replaced by a dirt track.[1]

The race was originally run over 2,400 metres before he current distance was established in 1996.

The race began as an ungraded stakes race before attaining Listed status in 1996. The race was elevated to Group 3 level in 2000 and became a Group 2 event in 2002. The race became a Group 1 event in 2012.

The distance of the event was decreased from 2,000 metres to 1,900 metres in 2024. The three race challenge series was moved for Arabian horses and the event was rebranded as the Al Maktoum Challenge.[2]

Records

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Record time:

  • 1:59.60 - Dubai Millennium (2000)

Most wins by a horse:

  • 2 - Salute The Soldier (2021, 2023)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

  • 11 - Saeed bin Suroor (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015)

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
1994 Cezanne 5 Gary Hind Hilal Ibrahim Sheikh Mohammed 2:36.77
1995 Dover Straits 4 John Carroll Hilal Ibrahim Sheikh Mohammed 2:34.40
1996 Tamayaz 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:08.41
1997 Kammtarra 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Saeed Maktoum Al Maktoum 2:03.83
1998 Nabhaan 5 Richard Hills David Morley Hamdan Al Maktoum 2:05.91
1999 Spindrift 4 Gary Hind Saeed bin Suroor Rashid Bin Mohammed 2:00.53
2000 Dubai Millennium 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:59.60
2001 Hightori 4 Olivier Peslier Philippe Demercastel Gary Tanaka 2:01.59
2002 Street Cry 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:01.25
2003 Grandera 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:02.83
2004 Victory Moon 4 Weichong Marwing Mike de Kock Mad Syndicate 2:03.30
2005 Chiquitin 4 Michael Kinane Jerry Barton Sultan Mohammed Saud Al Kabeer 2:04.70
2006 Electrocutionist 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:01.06
2007 Eu Tambem 3 Kerrin McEvoy Ismail Mohammed Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:01.53
2008 Jalil 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:03:35
2009 Asiatic Boy 5 Johnny Murtagh Mike de Kock Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum 2:03.03
2010 Red Desire 4 Olivier Peslier Mikio Matsunaga Tokyo Horse Racing 2:02.62
2011 Twice Over 6 Tom Queally Henry Cecil Khalid Abdullah 2:05.44
2012 Capponi 5 Ahmed Ajtebi Mahmood Al Zarooni Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:03.05
2013 Hunter's Light 5 Silvestre de Sousa Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:03.65
2014 Prince Bishop 7 Kieren Fallon Saeed bin Suroor Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:04.23
2015 African Story 8 James Doyle Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:04.92
2016 Special Fighter 5 Fernando Jara Musabah Al Muhairi Mansoor bin Mohammed al Maktoum 2:03.09
2017 Long River 7 Mickael Barzalona Salem bin Ghadayer Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:04.20
2018 North America 6 Richard Mullen Satish Seemar Ramzan Kadyrov 2:01.71
2019 Capezzano 5 Mickael Barzalona Salim bin Ghadayer Sultan Ali 2:05.02
2020 Matterhorn 5 Mickael Barzalona Salim bin Ghadayer Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:04.44
2021 Salute The Soldier 6 Adrie de Vries Fawzi Abdulla Nass Victorious 2:03.09
2022 Hypothetical 5 Mickael Barzalona Salem bin Ghadayer Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 2:04.79
2023 Salute The Soldier 8 Adrie de Vries Fawzi Abdulla Nass Victorious 2:04.52
2024 Kabirkhan 4 Pat Dobbs Doug Watson Tlek Mukanbetkaliyev 1:57.72

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Peter Scargill (14 May 2014). "Dirt to replace Tapeta at Meydan for next season". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014.
  2. ^ "2023-2024 Dubai Racing Carnival Brouchure" (PDF). 2023. pp. 12–14. Retrieved 30 January 2024.