Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
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 Nad Al Sheba as seen from the air on 1 May 2007 | |
 Interactive map of Nad Al Sheba Racecourse | |
| Location | Dubai |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Dubai Racing Club |
| Date opened | 1986 |
| Date closed | 2009 |
| Course type | Flat |
| Notable races | Dubai World Cup |
| Official website | |
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It had a 2,200 m left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance. It operated from November through March and featured the Dubai International Racing Carnival and its Dubai World Cup Night.
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was demolished in 2009 following hosting the Dubai World Cup race, being replaced by Meydan Racecourse.
Horse racing began in Dubai as early as 1981, and in 1986 Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was formally opened. The course also featured a golf course in the centre.[1]
In 1992, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum formed the Dubai Racing Club to increase the popularity of the sport in the city, and later in 1993 the Dubai Racing Club hosted the inaugural Dubai International Jockeys Challenge at Nad Al Sheba. In 1996, the Dubai World Cup was created with the horses competing for a prize of $4million. This was a significant prize purse for the era. The first Dubai World Cup was won by Cigar. Today the race day is worth a total prize purse in excess of $30million.[2][3]
In 2000, the Godolphin owned Dubai Millennium won the world cup race with a record time of 1.59.50.[4] In 2001, the Millennium Grandstand was opened.[5] In 2007, it was announced that Meydan Racecourse would replace Nad Al Sheba. For the following two years, the new grandstands were visible under construction. Following the 2009 Dubai World Cup, Nad Al Sheba racecourse was demolished and now sits as part of the Meydan Racecourse facility.[6]
The last winner at Nad Al Sheba was Well Armed.[7]
Group 1 Races
| Race Name | Type | Surface | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai World Cup | Flat | Dirt | 1m 2f |
| Dubai Sheema Classic | Flat | Turf | 1m 4f |
| Dubai Turf | Flat | Turf | 1m 194yds |
| Dubai Golden Shaheen | Flat | Dirt | 6f |
