On balance, last weekend’s Dubai World Cup program was the best renewal ever and what makes Dubai such a strong possibility to host a future Breeders’ Cup event. That, and the organization’s need for funding which, among other things, can help grow the international racing model.

Expansion on several levels has been in the works for some time. There was an announcement on Jan. 25 that there would be a Request For Proposals for any track in the world with an interest in hosting a future Breeders’ Cup. This, too, creates a synergy with the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge,” in effect a playoff system that features a ‘win-and-you’re-in’ format for designated races deemed worthy by the Breeders’ Cup committee.

Significantly, the first race in the Challenge series will be the Hong Kong Jockey Club Champions Mile at Sha Tin Race Course later this month. Additionally, the recent marketing partnership between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup Limited includes a $1-million bonus provision for the horse that sweeps the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile and Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile in December, also at Sha Tin.

For the first time this year, horseplayers in Hong Kong will be able to wager into Breeders’ Cup betting pools. The speculation is that the recent hiring of New York Racing Association Senior Vice-President and COO Bill Nader by the Hong Kong Jockey Club as its Executive Director, Racing, will pay immediate dividends, not only helping facilitate Hong Kong’s simulcast wagering on Breeders’ Cup but also for his racing expertise and contacts among America’s top horsemen. The HKJC clearly has ambitious plans, but also has serious competition.

The demonstration to visiting dignitaries at Nad Al Sheba before the World Cup left many observers bug-eyed. A 50-foot scale model of the new Meydan complex was hydraulically lifted out of the ground, allowing visitors to walk around inside it. According to one observer, not a single detail was overlooked and that the projected costs possibly reaching $1 billion was not hyperbole.

Meydan, translated from the Arabic to mean “where people congregate, compete and aspire to win” is the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. But not even a sheikh can have everything he wants. Witness the performance of his Discreet Cat. It turns out the Sport of Kings can humble them, too.

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