Magnitude is the Dubai World Cup Winner!
With an impressive wire-to-wire victory, the 4-year-old stallion Magnitude, ridden by top American jockey Jose Ortiz, won the World Cup, with a purse of over 12 million US dollars, at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai.
For the 30th anniversary of the World Cup, the world’s best thoroughbreds came to Dubai – most notably the 5-year-old Japan-owned stallion Forever Young, currently considered the “world’s best racehorse,” who was ridden by Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai. Forever Young significantly reduced the gap to the leading Magnitude in the final straight, but never posed a real threat.
Meydaan, a 5-year-old gelding by Frankel, ridden by William Buick, finished third.
The winner, Magnitude, belongs to the American Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, a racing stable founded by the late American entrepreneur and restaurant chain owner Verne Winchell and now run by his widow Joan and son Ron. The stallion, a son of the sire Not This Time, is trained by Steve Asmussen.
For trainer Steve Asmussen, it was his second victory in a Dubai World Cup – he had already trained the winner, Curlin, in 2008 (back then at the old Dubai racecourse, Nad al Sheba).
An overjoyed Jose Ortiz said after his winning ride: “We knew we had a very, very good horse, but Forever Young is the best horse in the world, and we had to respect that. But we also knew our horse had a chance to win.” He added: “If Magnitude jumps well, we could have taken the lead, and then anything is possible. When I looked to the side at the beginning of the home straight and noticed Forever Young getting closer, I knew it was time to go. After all, Forever Young was the horse to beat, so I asked Magnitude to run, and he was there for me.”
Regarding the runner-up Forever Young, who already finished third in last year’s World Cup in Dubai, his trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, “The track here in Dubai doesn’t seem to fit him.”For Dubai, the World Cup was a grand celebration in these challenging times.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said that UAE today celebrated the gathering of the world’s finest horses in Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X (formerly Twitter): „The UAE today celebrated the gathering of the world’s finest horses and owners at one of the world’s most prestigious horse races, now in its 30th year. A new achievement for Emirati sport… and a renewed success in organizing and hosting. We congratulate the United States on the victory of the horse Magnitude in the most important and valuable horse race in the world.“
“The horse is a symbol of speed, strength, and an indomitable spirit. So too are the UAE and its people.“