Dubai Sheema Classic

The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1+1⁄2 miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, and it takes place annually during the Dubai World Cup Night in March.

Dubai Sheema Classic

Class	Group 1
Location	Meydan Racecourse Dubai
Inaugurated	1998
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	Longines
Website	emiratesracing.com
Race information
Distance	2,410 metres (1+1⁄2 miles) (2,400 metres prior to 2010)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	For Southern Hemisphere 3 year olds and Northern Hemisphere four year olds
Weight	3YO 54.5kg, NH & SH 4YO+ 57kg
Purse	US$6,000,000

The race was first run in 1998, and it was initially titled as the Dubai Turf Classic. The present name was introduced two years later. The event attained Group 1 status in 2002. Prior to 2010 it was run at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.

The Dubai Sheema Classic currently offers a purse of US$6 million making it and the Dubai Turf race two of the most valuable turf races in the world.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 2,410 metres and Meydan Racecourse)

• 2:25.65 – Equinox (2023)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – William Buick (2010, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – John Gosden (2010, 2017, 2021)
• 3 – Charlie Appleby (2018, 2019, 2024)

Most wins by an owner:

• 7 – Godolphin (1998, 2003, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1998	Stowaway	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	2:29.01
1999	Fruits of Love	4	Kieren Fallon	Mark Johnston	Michael Doyle	2:28.45
2000	Fantastic Light	4	Kieren Fallon	Sir Michael Stoute	Maktoum Al Maktoum	2:27.70
2001	Stay Gold	7	Yutaka Take	Yasuo Ikee	Shadai Racehorse	2:28.23
2002	Nayef	4	Richard Hills	Marcus Tregoning	Hamdan Al Maktoum	2:29.64
2003	Sulamani	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	2:27.67
2004	Polish Summer	7	Gary Stevens	André Fabre	Khalid Abdullah	2:31.09
2005	Phoenix Reach	5	Martin Dwyer	Andrew Balding	Winterbeck Manor Stud	2:30.54
2006	Heart's Cry	5	Christophe Lemaire	Kojiro Hashiguchi	Shadai Racehorse	2:31.89
2007	Vengeance of Rain	6	Anthony Delpech	David E. Ferraris	R. G. Chow Hon Man	2:31.03
2008	Sun Classique	5	Kevin Shea	Mike de Kock	L. Cohen / W. V. Rippon	2:27.45
2009	Eastern Anthem	5	Ahmed Ajtebi	Mubarak bin Shafya	Hamdan Al Maktoum	2:31:84
2010	Dar Re Mi	5	William Buick	John H. M. Gosden	Lord Lloyd-Webber	2:31:84
2011	Rewilding	4	Frankie Dettori	Mahmood Al Zarooni	Godolphin Racing	2:29.01
2012	Cirrus des Aigles	6	Olivier Peslier	Corine Barande-Barbe	Dupouy/Niel	2:31.30
2013	St Nicholas Abbey	6	Joseph O'Brien	Aidan O'Brien	Smith / Magnier / Tabor	2:27.70
2014	Gentildonna	5	Ryan Moore	Sei Ishizaka	Sunday Racing	2:27.25
2015	Dolniya	4	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	Aga Khan IV	2:28.29
2016	Postponed	5	Andrea Atzeni	Roger Varian	Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum	2:26.97
2017	Jack Hobbs	5	William Buick	John Gosden	Godolphin Racing	2:32.39
2018	Hawkbill	5	William Buick	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin Racing	2:29.45
2019	Old Persian	4	William Buick	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin Racing	2:27.17
2020	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021	Mishriff	4	David Egan	John Gosden	Prince Abdul Rahman al Faisal	2:26.65
2022	Shahryar	4	Cristian Demuro	Hideaki Fujiwara	Sunday Racing	2:26.88
2023	Equinox	4	Christophe Lemaire	Tetsuya Kimura	Silk Racing	2:25.65
2024	Rebel's Romance	6	William Buick	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin Racing	2:26:72
2025	Danon Decile	4	Keita Tosaki	Shogo Yasuda	Danox Co Ltd	2:27.05

See also

• List of United Arab Emirates horse races