Dubai World Cup program / carnival get major funds increase

It’s not just the Dubai World Cup program getting a purse raise for 2019, but the entire Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Total purse money to be distributed during the 2019 carnival is $12,670,000, a 12-percent increase over 2018. Purses are to be raised at all levels during the Carnival, which spans 10 weeks between Jan. 3 and March 9 and includes nine Thursday cards before the final meeting, Super Saturday, leads into the World Cup program.

All three rounds of the Maktoum Challenge got considerable purse hikes with Round 3, a Group 1, now worth a rich $600,000.

The Super Saturday stakes all will have higher purses, including three races raised from $200,000 to $350,000: the Mahab Al Shimaal, a dirt sprint; the Burj Nahaar, a dirt mile; and the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint. The latter is a prep for the Al Quoz Sprint, which had its purse doubled for 2019 to $2 million.

The World Cup Carnival’s 3-year-old program has been expanded for 2019 and includes two new $100,000 races.

Handicap races during the Carnival will be worth between $10,000 and $15,000 more than during 2018 and offer a minimum purse of $135,000.

Purses at Meydan for meetings that aren’t part of the World Cup Carnival were boosted 9 percent.