Magnitude springs upset in 30th Dubai World Cup

DUBAI – When Dubai welcomed the world to the old Nad Al Sheba Racetrack for the first time in 1996, the US-based galloper Cigar repelled an inevitable challenge from compatriot Soul of the Matter in the inaugural Dubai World Cup.

That helped cement Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s – now prime minister of United Arab Emirates – goal of creating a worldwide spectacle in the Emirates.

The eyes of the racing public were on sprawling Meydan racecourse for the 30th renewal of the 2,000m event worth US$12 million (S$15.4 million) on March 28.

Favourite Forever Young was looking to complete an unprecedented sequence of the world’s three richest races on dirt, after he won the US$20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m) twice in 2025 and 2026, and the US$7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (2,000m) in 2025.

But it was not meant to be for the Yoshito Yahagi-trained Japanese galloper as Magnitude took control right out of the stalls and Forever Young – doing his best to reel him in – ran out of real estate.

Having missed the Saudi Cup, Magnitude prepped with a soft victory in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap (1,700m) on March 1 and was a reasonably fresh horse.

The son of Not This Time hit the ground running from gate 1, going along smoothly for Jose Ortiz while tracked along by Forever Young (Ryusei Sakai) and Tumbarumba (James Doyle).

Still travelling strongly into the final 800m, Magnitude was called upon by Ortiz while turning for home and left Forever Young a bit flat-footed, putting about two lengths on the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic winner.

Still clear at the furlong marker, Magnitude ($56) rolled away from the inside, but the best Forever Young could do was to get to the four-year-old colt’s tail at the wire.

Irish runner Meydaan (William Buick) won from Imperial Emperor (Tadhg O’Shea) for third, albeit still well behind the top two.

Ortiz was confident in his mount, but knew he was in for a good fight when it comes to being on the same stage as Forever Young.

“We knew we had a very good horse, but obviously Forever Young is the best horse in the world,” he said.

“We left all the options open – if he jumps well, we can go to the lead, if somebody jumps better than him, just sit off, maybe behind the speed.

“He didn’t have a running start, but he jumped well and I knew it was time to go. I asked him to run and he was there for me.”

Winning trainer Steven Asmussen, who took the 2008 Dubai World Cup with Curlin and had Gun Runner finish second in 2017, was ecstatic.

“What an incredible win. We just wanted to let him to run his race from point A to point B,” said the American trainer.

“The horse is running with a lot of confidence and that gave us confidence. It unfolded just how we wanted it to.”

Yahagi believes that the Meydan track “doesn’t seem to suit” Forever Young, having finished third in the Dubai World Cup in 2025.

The five-year-old son of Real Steel did win the Group 2 UAE Derby (1,900m) on the track in 2024, but it was a workmanlike success that rated below the rest of his performances at three.

“Everything went the way we planned but the winner was good today,” said Forever Young’s regular partner Sakai.

Four months on from becoming the first foreign-trained winner of the Group 1 Japan Cup (2,400m) in 20 years, Calandagan ($5.30) flew home late under Mickael Barzalona to win the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2,400m) for owner Princess Zahra Aga Khan and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

The French-based stayer spotted the leader West Wind Blows (Rossa Ryan) a lead in excess of 10 lengths at a pace, which meant there was little chance of the runaway stopping.

Yet such was Barzalona’s confidence in Calandagan that he only gradually moved forward around the home turn, and still had four lengths to make up at the 400m mark.

When he finally said go, the result went from suspense to a formality in a matter of strides as the Gleneagles five-year-old stamped his abundant class on the race, running out an easy ¾-length win from the gallant West Wind Blows.

At the start of last season, Calandagan continued a run of heartbreaking seconds but Graffard never lost faith in his horse, and has now masterminded a sequence of five straight Group 1 victories.

He admitted to suffering ahead of the Japan Cup when Calandagan once again appeared to momentarily age before the race, and was aware of the disappointment that would come with anything other than victory.

“That was really hard,” said Graffard. “It became such a tactical race and it’s difficult because there’s a lot of pressure that comes with running a horse like this.

“The difference now is that Mickael knows him so well.”

Ridden by Buick, Ombudsman ($7) provided another famous success in the blue silks of Godolphin as the John and Thady Gosden-trained galloper showed his undoubted quality in the Group 1 Dubai Turf.

The father-and-son training partnership had already secured three consecutive victories in this 1,800m showdown with Lord North from 2021 to 2023.

Dark Saffron ($100) caused a major boilover in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m).

Off form for the bulk of the 2025-2026 Dubai Racing Carnival, Sultan Ali’s Dark Saffron was put right into play from a wide draw in defence of his title in the Group 1 sprint feature, which he won in 2025.

The Flameaway four-year-old outsprinted reigning Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Bentornato (Ortiz) to give jockey Connor Beasley and trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash a back-to-back Group 1 double.

The pair earlier also teamed up to win the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) with another outsider, Native Approach ($186).

Trained by Ahmed Al Balushi, Falaah ($101) was Oman’s first winner at the Dubai World Cup meeting as he powered home to win the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic (2,000m) under his Omani rider Al Moatasem Al Balushi.

Trainers Simon and Ed Crisford’s smart mare Fairy Glen ($55) maintained her stellar start to 2026 by landing a dramatic Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup (3,200m).

The Godolphin-bred Banishing ($43) took the prize for US and Saudi Arabia in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile (1,600m), when he relished the stamina-sapping test under the UAE champion jockey-elect Silvestre de Sousa for Kentucky handler David Jacobson.

The Daisuke Takayanagi-trained Wonder Dean (Cristian Demuro, $25) became the fifth straight Japanese winner of the Group 2 UAE Derby (1,800m), following Crown Pride (2022), Derma Sotogake (2023), Forever Young (2024) and Admire Daytona (2025). DUBAI RACING CLUB