Winners from five different countries celebrated success during the 2025-26 Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan – the most in the 22-year history of the event.
Horses trained in the UK, Denmark, France and Oman provided 22 overseas winners during 16 race meetings. That made this the best Carnival yet for international trainers and owners.
Dubai Racing Club welcomed 47 international trainers during the Carnival, from the UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Czechia, Spain, Oman, Hong Kong and Ireland. In total, 130 overseas-trained horses raced at Meydan, more than 20 per cent of the overall runners.
There were many highlights, including a Danish double on 30 January, when Soren Jensen’s Taifuu won the Mawj Stakes and Great Wish, trained by Bent Olsen, won the Listed Dubai Sprint. Great Wish has now been invited to the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at the Dubai World Cup meeting, 28 March.
British trainer Jamie Osborne enjoyed an excellent Carnival, with six winners, including Heart Of Honor in the Listed Entisar Stakes and Brotherly Love in the Listed Road to the Kentucky Derby. Both will take their chances on World Cup day, in the $12 G1 Dubai World Cup and G2 UAE Derby, respectively.
UK-based South African trainer Dylan Cunha also tasted success, with two winners, the same number as his Newmarket colleague Richard Spencer. France, too, got on the board with Carnival regular Nicolas Caullery winning the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas with Piana.
“This has been by far the most international Dubai Racing Carnival with the largest number of horses as well as trainers,” said Erwan Charpy, DRC’s Head of Department, Racing Operations & International Relations.
“We have been running our quarantines at full capacity and enjoyed an average of 12 international horses per meeting throughout the full Carnival. I would like to thank John Nicholls and the teams at Dubai International Stables and Dubai World Cup Quarantine for looking after everyone so well.”
Meydan will welcome more international runners over the next two weeks, with horses from Japan, the UK, France and the USA arriving for the 30th Dubai World Cup meeting on 28 March.
