Sheikh Mohammed Attends Meydan Super Saturday; Rebel’s Romance Among Feature Winners

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended Emirates Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse, lending visible reassurance as the nine-race card produced key Dubai World Cup lead-ups including Rebel’s Romance’s victory in the G2 Dubai City of Gold. Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook bin Juma Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, accompanied him for the Feb. 28 meeting that featured around 100 runners.

Speaking via the Dubai Media Office at Meydan, Sheikh Mohammed, described by state outlets as Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Emirates Super Saturday reflects Dubai’s leading position in global horse racing and the remarkable progress we have achieved in this sport. We are proud to welcome elite horses, owners, jockeys, and trainers from around the world to compete in Dubai. We will continue to build on this legacy and further strengthen Dubai’s stature as a global hub for equestrian sport.”

The card carried total prize money of AED 10.3 million, about $2.8 million by the conversion published in local coverage, and was promoted as the official dress rehearsal for the 30th Dubai World Cup meeting scheduled for March 28. The National noted winners on Super Saturday may secure guaranteed spots at the Dubai World Cup, making the results at Meydan materially important to owners, trainers and jockeys targeting the big day.

In the G2 Al Maktoum Classic over 2,000 metres on dirt, sponsored by Emirates Airline, Meydaan delivered under William Buick for owner H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The result credited Meydaan as the winner with Walk Of Stars second; Walk Of Stars was ridden by Mickael Barzalona and trained by Bhupat Seemar, while Meydaan was listed as trained by Simon and Ed Crisford.

Quddwah took the G2 Singspiel Stakes over 1,800 metres on turf, another notable Godolphin-connected success for H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s stable. Quddwah edged out Dividend, who was ridden by Rossa Ryan and trained by Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole, to claim the Singspiel accolade.

The afternoon’s feature, the G2 Dubai City of Gold over 2,410 metres on turf, saw Rebel’s Romance in the silks of Godolphin produce a decisive performance under William Buick for trainer Charlie Appleby, with Fort George finishing second. Buick’s double on Meydaan and Rebel’s Romance stood out across the big-field turf and dirt contests.

The meeting opened with the third round of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge for Purebred Arabians, a 2,000 metre dirt race won by Falaah. Falaah was ridden by Al Moatasem Al Balushi and trained by Ahmed Al Balushi, marking a clean start to an evening of graded stakes at Meydan.

Local race reporting said the full card ran as scheduled despite heightened tensions across the Middle East, with no issues reported on course. Sahracing highlighted that racing continued without interruption and that Sheikh Mohammed’s presence was widely seen as a source of reassurance for participants and spectators as the meeting set the stage for the March 28 Dubai World Cup.