DUBAI WORLD CUP HANDICAPPING

While the race features many horses with Dubai ownership the overwhelming majority are bred and trained in the United States or Europe. In the main event of the card—the Dubai World Cup race—16 of the 18 all time winners have been bred in the United States or Europe. A horse bred in Brazil won in 2007 while a Japanese bred horse won in 2011. These two horses are also the only two winners of the big race that did not have American or Dubai owners—each country has won 8 of the 18 races.

UNFAMILIAR HORSES BRINGS BETTING OPPORTUNITY

With no on track Dubai World Cup betting and the majority of wagering action coming from the United States or Europe there are a few general strategies the handicapper can use to make this unique situation work in his advantage. Keep in mind that there will be many unfamiliar horses in the field and this means that horses bred in Europe and particularly the United States will be overbet. This is especially true among horses that have had some success in their career—bettors naturally gravitate toward familiar names. The flip side is also true—lower profile horses often offer value and shouldn't be dismissed when making your Dubai World Cup bets.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RACING SURFACE

At one point the United States bred horses had a significant advantage in the dirt races in Dubai but that edge has been eliminated with the switch to the synthetic Tapeta surface that came about with the opening of the Meydan Racecourse in 2010. Since no other major race tracks have a Tapeta surface (the only American tracks that do are Golden Gate Fields and Presque Isle Downs) you won't find many horses with experience on the surface. The American horses are at a significant disadvantage in the turf races held in Dubai—in fact, no American bred horse has ever won one of these races.