As the current UK flat season gradually draws to its close, fans begin to look to other countries around the world where they can bet on this form of racing. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) offers some of the world’s richest races, attracting the very-best horses and jockeys to Meydan (there’s also racing at Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain). Here are 7 reasons why it makes sense to bet on UAE/Dubai racing, with RaceBets.
View Today’s Betting Markets Now!1. Top-Class Flat Racing, During The European Winter
The UAE racing season runs from October to March, precisely when flat racing is not taking place in Europe (other than on all-weather surfaces). If you are a fan of the flat, this means you can bet on the action all-year-round. RaceBets stream the races live, so you can watch the action unfold after you have placed your bet.
2. Fixed Odds Betting
RaceBets offers fixed-odds betting on all UAE races. This means that you can take the price that is on offer, rather than just betting at the starting-price (SP). However, if you prefer to make SP bets, that is no problem either.
3. Best Odds Guaranteed
RaceBets now offers Best Odds Guaranteed, on UAE races. This adds a huge amount of value, to customers’ bets. If you take a fixed-odds price and the odds drift (get bigger), you will be paid out at the higher price if the horse wins. However, if the price shortens, you will be paid out at the fixed odds that you accepted when you made your bet.
4. Ante-Post Betting
We regularly include major UAE races, in our popular ante-post markets. Ante-post betting enables you to bet on races that are not due to take place for weeks or months. As runners have not yet even been officially declared, this means the ante-post prices tend to be much higher than on the day of the race. Please be aware that (unless stated otherwise) your ante-post bet will not be refunded, if your chosen horse does not run.
5. Overseas Raiders
You will regularly find that the most-famous and successful British and Irish horses will be sent to race in Meydan, over the winter. Top jockeys, such as Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori will be booked for major rides. Recent winners of the Dubai World Cup (the world’s richest horse race) include Prince Bishop, African Story and Monterosso – all horses that were based in the UK/Ireland.
6. Huge Purses
While you will often hear complaints about the sizes of purses in British racing, that’s never likely to be the case in the UAE. The runners and riders will almost always be chasing very large cash prizes and this leads to very competitive races. The UAE is amongst the wealthiest nations on the planet and their racing industry fully reflects this.
7. Welcome Bonus
Join RaceBets right now and we will match your first deposit, up to £/€50, with bonus cash! Any customers in the UAE can take advantage of this fantastic offer. Click here to view full t&cs.
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About Meydan, The UAE’s Major Racecourse
Meydan racetrack can be found in the city of Dubai. This sixty-thousand capacity venue has really put the United Arab Emirates on the global horse racing map, since it was first unveiled in 2010.
It’s sits on a piece of land that used to be Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. However, the two facilities are incomparable. Meydan ranks amongst the most state-of-the-art facilities in the sport and is used for much more than just horse racing.
It is a major business hub with extensive meetings and conference buildings that are used all year round. In addition to this, Meydan also features a marina, a gallery, a museum and a golf course. The grandstand is over a mile in length and there are more than seven luxury corporate suites. There is a turf track which is a mile and a half from start to finish, along with a dirt track of just over a mile. However, this course is synthetic (Tapeta).
Meydan Racecourse is most famous for holding the Dubai World Cup. Since 1996, this has been an annual event in Dubai. The World Cup involves nine different races. Only one of these is for Purebred Arabians – the other eight are for standard thoroughbreds.
There is a $10,000,000 purse on offer and the World Cup takes place in late-March. It is a race primarily for four year old horses, although three year olds from the Southern Hemisphere may take part. The race distance is ten furlongs.
Until recently, this fixture had been held on the turf, but this was changed in 2015. American owners had been put off by the use of the turf track (racing in the USA tends to be on dirt tracks) and the powers that be at Meydan wanted to make sure that they continued to attract the very best horses from America and the rest of the world.
The fastest time that has been recorded by a winner of the World Cup is 2:01.61. That was set by African Story, in 2014. Godolphin racing have done very well at this fixture. They hold the record for most wins (six). Jerry Bailey is the only jockey to have four victories – the last of which came in 2002. It will come as no surprise that the most successful trainer has been Saeed bin Suroor. He has 7 wins under his belt, the last of which came with Prince Bishop in 2015. No horse has ever won the World Cup on more than one occasion.
You won’t miss any Meydan betting opportunities, when you sign up for a RaceBets account. We offer much-wider coverage of Asian racing than any of our rivals and always introduce great special offers for the most prestigious Group 1 races. Join RaceBets today!
