Dubai Future

The peak of his career came at Royal Ascot on 14 June 2022, when he won a Class 1 race — one of the most prestigious days in British racing. That was also his first career win, which makes it all the more striking. Horses don't usually announce themselves by winning at the sport's grandest stage. Since then he has continued to mix it at Class 1 level regularly, winning 1 from 8 races at that grade, which sounds modest until you remember that Class 1 races are the elite end of the sport. Turning up and being competitive in that company, race after race, takes genuine quality.

His trainer Saeed bin Suroor, based in Newmarket, is clearly fond of him. After an early run at Meydan, bin Suroor described a horse with real talent but one who needed careful handling — held up rather than sent to the front on his return from a setback, with the team patient enough to let him settle before asking questions. Jockey Silvestre de Sousa was equally enthusiastic, noting that when he finally asked Dubai Future to go, the horse responded immediately. That kind of professional-to-professional praise is worth listening to.

What gives him an extra dimension is his record over long distances. In races of two miles or more, he has won 2 from 6 — about 1 in every 3 races — which is a genuinely strong return at that trip. He also has a particular affinity with Meydan in Dubai, where he has won twice from 8 races. For a horse who travels internationally and performs at the highest level in both countries, that versatility is rare.

Most remarkably, he won at Sandown Park just three weeks ago, with his last race only yesterday. At ten years old, Dubai Future is not winding down — he is still showing up, still competing, and still winning. That alone makes him worth watching.