The US$5-million Dubai Duty Free started out as a 10-furlong race on dirt before being switched to the turf in 2000 when it was run over a furlong less. Between 2001 and 2009, the Dubai Duty Free took place over 1,777 metres, just short of nine furlongs. This year’s contest is at Meydan Racecourse, the fantastic new track in Dubai, and will be run over nine furlongs on turf on Saturday, March 27.
Key Of Luck turned the initial running of the Dubai Duty Free in 1996 into a procession, beating Cezanne by 20 lengths under an enterprising ride from Gary Stevens.
This was a fine performance considering that Cezanne had won the Irish Champion Stakes two seasons earlier but Key Of Luck proved that it was no fluke when he returned to Nad Al Sheba for the 1997 Dubai World Cup, finishing fourth to Singspiel.
Tamayaz gave Godolphin a first Dubai Duty Free success in 1997 when the five-year-old proved a length too strong for Needle Gun under an immaculate ride from Frankie Dettori.
This was a much deserved big-race success for Tamayaz, who had finished fifth to Cigar in the previous year's Dubai World Cup as well as sixth behind Alphabet Soup in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Woodbine, Canada.
Godolphin and Gary Stevens gained a second Dubai Duty Free victory in 1998, when Annus Mirabilis quickened clear to win by six lengths from stable companion Intikhab.
The winner turned the tables on the runner-up who had beaten him by a length and a quarter on their previous meeting at Nad Al Sheba a month earlier. Godolphin also had the third, Fly To The Stars.
Altibr added to Godolphin's fine record in the Dubai Duty Free when the four-year-old made all under Richard Hills in 1999 to beat Spindrift by three and a half lengths.
Godolphin continued the winning run in 2000, courtesy of Rhythm Band who was partnered by Ted Durcan. Rhythm Band quickened well to overcome stable companion Easaar by three quarters of a length and next time out he was only beaten three and a half lengths by Manndar in a Grade One contest at America’s Churchill Downs racetrack.
Godolphin’s tremendous winning sequence in the Dubai Duty Free came to an end when Jim And Tonic was successful in 2001. The Francois Doumen-trained seven-year-old, ridden by Gerald Mosse, managed to get his head in front when it mattered most to beat the Hong Kong champion Fairy King Prawn by a neck, with the great New Zealand mare Sunline close up in third.
It was a race to remember and a tremendous performance by Jim And Tonic who had an enviable record in international contests.
The 2002 running of the Dubai Duty Free was the first as a Group One contest. The winner was another challenger from France, Terre A Terre, trained by Eric Libaud. The grey mare, partnered by Christophe Soumillon, beat Godolphin’s Noverre by three quarters of a length. The previous year, Terre A Terre had won the Group One Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp and had been a close third to Agnes Digital in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.
Ipi Tombe was the first South African-trained winner of the Dubai Duty Free in 2003, after coming with a strong run to lead inside the final furlong to beat Paolini by three lengths. The Mike de Kock-trained mare was a Group One scorer in her homeland and had earlier enjoyed two winning outings at Nad Al Sheba, so the victory was a popular one.
Winning rider Kevin O’Shea commented: “Mike told me to be patient and let her settle so I switched her off. When I pushed the button, well, the hairs just stood up on the back of my neck - she was awesome.”
Ipi Tombe recorded the fastest time seen so far in the Dubai Duty Free of 1m 47.61s.
Paolini, a seasoned international runner, went one better in 2004 but the German raider, having his 20th consecutive outing in Group One company, had to share the spoils with the Mike de Kock-trained Right Approach, when the first dead-heat was seen on Dubai World Cup day.
It was a storming finish, with the eventual third Nayyir, beaten a neck, hitting the front 120 yards out before Paolini on the inside and Right Approach on the outside swept past with the judge being unable to split the pair at the line.
Godolphin’s Crimson Palace, who had no room in the closing stages, was an unlucky fourth, followed closely by Martillo and Checkit.
Andreas Wohler, who trained Paolini for owner-breeder Carde Ostermann-Richter, remarked: “Paolini is a great horse. He doesn’t run a lot, but that keeps him fresh and the travel keeps him fresh too. When I first saw the race, I thought he'd won, but then when I saw the replay, I thought he'd lost.”
The 2005 Dubai Duty Free went to the Australian challenger Elvstroem, a multiple Group One winner in his homeland, whose victories included a Caulfield Cup success over the legendary three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.
Despite being drawn on the wide outside of the 14-runner field, Elvstroem broke well and was sent into an early lead. Jockey Nash Rawiller was able to dictate matters at a steady pace and, after kicking for home with over a furlong to run, he never looked like being caught, coming home the comfortable two and three quarter length winner.
Elvstroem’s success was the first for an Australian horse at Nad Al Sheba, and trainer Tony Vasil was understandably delighted: “He’s been a terrific horse - having won five Group Ones - and to go overseas and win a Group One is very special. His first race was at a very humble country track and this is just unbelievable.”
American hope Whilly, trained by Doug O’Neill, stayed on well for second, with the Mike de Kock-trained Right Approach, who had dead-heated for first the previous year, a length away in third.
David Junior became the initial British-trained winner of the Dubai Duty Free in 2006 for trainer Brian Meehan and jockey Jamie Spencer.
The classy chesnut went into the race off the back of a superb victory in a top-class renewal of the Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket, England, the previous October, in which he defeated the crack French mare Pride by three quarters of a length.
Jamie Spencer was sitting pretty on David Junior with a furlong and a half to race in the Dubai Duty Free as the four-year-old cruised into contention before unleashing a devastating kick for a comfortable three and a half length triumph.
The US-trained runner-up, The Tin Man, landed the Grade One Arlington Million as he went unbeaten in his remaining three starts that year. Seihali took third for local handler Dhruba Selvaratnam.
Winning owner David Sullivan said: “He’s the best I have had by a long, long way, and that’s after 32 years in racing. I turned down a monstrous, monstrous offer for this horse in the winter but I have always dreamed of winning races like this and now my dreams have come true.”
David Junior went on to secure further Group One glory in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, England, in the July of 2006.
Japanese colt Admire Moon took the 2007 running of the Dubai Duty Free under legendary jockey Yutaka Take in a fast time of 1m 47.94s.
The four-year-old went into the race off the back of a Group Two victory over Melbourne Cup and Arima Kinen runner-up Pop Rock. He enhanced that top class form as he took up the running two furlongs out at Nad Al Sheba and held on for a half-length verdict over Linngari.
Fellow Japanese raider Daiwa Major, winner of the Group One Mile Championship (a victory he would repeat in 2007) and the Tenno Sho the previous autumn, was third.
It was an outstanding renewal as the field of 16 included nine individual Group/Grade One winners from around the globe, most notably subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf hero English Channel and fellow US star Lava Man.
Admire Moon, trained by Hiroyoshi Matsuda, was purchased by HH Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Japan and went on to secure the prestigious Group One double of the Takarazuka Kinen and the Japan Cup later in the year.
The 2008 Dubai Duty Free, with a maximum field of 16 going to post, was perhaps the best renewal in the race’s history, with outstanding challengers from across the globe.
The line-up included the French 1,000 Guineas heroine Darjina, Japanese raiders Vodka and Admire Aura, the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas scorer Finsceal Beo, New Zealand wonder mare Seachange and the Godolphin pair of Literato and Creachadoir, who had contested the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on their previous appearances.
With such a stellar line-up, Jay Peg was overlooked by some for the prestigious contest, having not won for over a year and starting from a wide draw.
But the Herman Brown-trained five-year-old, a dual Classic winner in South Africa for his previous handler and co-owner Basil Marcus, broke smartly under Basil’s brother Anton and dictated a sedate early pace.
Still holding a clear advantage entering the straight, Jay Peg was briefly pressed by Vodka and Darjina in the closing stages but he found extra under pressure to prevail by half a length from Alain de Royer-Dupre’s filly, despite the jockey’s saddle slipping near the line, with Archipenko finishing well to be third, a nose further in arrears.
Anton Marcus commented: “I was more concerned that I was going to fall off than with the opposition. He enjoys a fight. It suited me when they came at me on both sides.”
Jay Peg produced another superb display on his only other appearance of 2008, winning the Group One Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji two months later.
The 2009 renewal was turned into a procession by Gladiatorus, who provided a dream victory for Emirati trainer Mubarak bin Shafya and a first Group One success for jockey Ahmed Ajtebi, who hails from Dubai.
The four-year-old had previously recorded emphatic wins at the Dubai International Racing Carnival in a handicap and the Group Two Al Fahidi Fort. He improved again on Dubai World Cup Night, making all of the running to score by three and a quarter lengths from British challenger Presvis. Alexandros stayed on well in the closing stages to take third for Godolphin.
The winning rider said: “I am so happy and so proud. I always said I wanted the UAE to be proud of me and I hope the country is now. We were always going to attack from the front because that’s how he won last time. This is a dream come true.”
Gladiatorus was transferred to Godolphin shortly after his impressive victory and the son of Silic went on to taste further Group One glory under Ahmed Ajtebi with another all-the-way success in the Premio Vittorio di Capua at Milan, Italy, in October, 2009.
It was a home victory in 2010 when locally-trained Al Shemali won the first running of the Dubai Duty Free to take place on the turf of Meydan. Representing Dubai's champion trainer of the season, Ali Rashid Al Raihe, the six-year-old horse surprised Royston Ffrench with the biggest win of the jockey's career. Quickening well and running all the way to the line, Al Shemali left South African-pair Bankable and Imbongi in his wake.