Hit Show Scripts Surprise Finale at Meydan
By Sharan Kumar
The script went awry at the Dubai World Cup—again. But if history has taught us anything, it's that Meydan rarely rewards the fancied and often rolls out the red carpet for the unexpected. In a race that has made a habit of humbling favourites, Hit Show delivered exactly what his name promised—a blockbuster performance worthy of the grandest stage in Middle Eastern racing. As the curtain fell on an unforgettable evening, the night sky over Meydan exploded in a riot of fireworks—brilliant, bold, and breathtaking—mirroring the drama, shock, and spectacle that had played out on the track below. The Dubai World Cup day signed off not just with champions crowned, but with the heavens celebrating alongside them.
The World Cup, rich in prestige and unpredictability, once again reminded the world that in horse racing, the only certainty is its uncertainty. The spotlight was meant to shine on Forever Young, Japan's rising superstar and emphatic winner of the Saudi Cup. Many expected him to complete the lucrative Saudi/Dubai double, a feat that has proved elusive over the years. But Meydan, true to its reputation, had other plans.
Carrying the burden of hype, headlines, and expectation, Forever Young looked out of sorts from the start. He never found the rhythm that had lit up Riyadh 42 days prior. Whether it was travel stress, tactical missteps, or simply the invisible weight of being the one to beat, the Japanese colt never travelled with the fluency required. He ran on late to finish a tame third, leaving connections to reflect on what might have been.
While Forever Young faded under the pressure, Hit Show—representing Wathnan Racing and trained by Brad Cox—staged a coup worthy of cinema. Reserved well off the pace under Florent Geroux, the son of Candy Ride was still buried in traffic as the field rounded the bend. But with 500 meters left, Geroux seized his moment, slipping through a gap between Katonah and a fading Imperial Emperor. By the time they hit the stretch, the script was flipping.
Crisscrossing down the lane with balletic agility, Hit Show surged past Frankie Dettori on Mixto, another outsider who had threatened to steal the show. By the final furlong, there was no doubt—the longshot had landed the lead role, and the Dubai World Cup had its latest upset.
Geroux, no stranger to Meydan’s heartbreak—having finished runner-up aboard Gun Runner behind Arrogate’s supernatural performance in 2017—was candid: “Only at the 100m did I think I could win! I was just running for a place, but he gave me more. He’s amazing. For some reason, he just runs for me all the time.”
Trainer Brad Cox, who stayed stateside to focus on Derby prep, could barely believe it:
“It’s unbelievable. I would have loved to be there, but we had a great team with him. It's a huge accomplishment.”
Mixto, guided masterfully by the ageless Dettori, earned a gallant second. “There’s good prize money for second!” quipped Frankie, ever the entertainer. Trainer Doug O’Neill was all praise: “He ran lights out. I thought he had enough in the end, but got outrun late.”
As for Forever Young, jockey Ryusei Sakai was candid in defeat: “We had to win this race and I am disappointed. He wasn’t travelling at all. It was hard to keep winning.” Trainer Yoshito Yahagi added: “We were the away team and Forever Young got worked up because of it. But that’s no excuse.”
In the end, it was Hit Show—the horse with a name that now feels prophetic—that delivered the performance of a lifetime. The Dubai World Cup once again rejected predictability and embraced the thrill of the unexpected. For a race that detests the obvious, this was business as usual. And for Wathnan Racing, it was a marquee moment—a true hit show that will be replayed for years to come.
In a thrilling finale that had hearts racing, Soul Rush and Cristian Demuro stunned the global legion of Romantic Warrior fans, swooping in at the very last stride to snatch victory in the Dubai Turf.
Perceived as unbeatable, Romantic Warrior broke well and seemed poised to claim another major win, sitting comfortably in second behind pacesetter Meisho Tabaru. But as the race unfolded, the world’s richest racehorse couldn’t shake off the relentless challenge of Soul Rush, who worked his way through the field and shifted into top gear in the final 200 metres. The pair fought tooth and nail to the line, with Demuro’s late surge proving just enough to deny the favorite.
As the judges deliberated, a dead-heat seemed imminent, but in the end, Soul Rush was declared the winner by the smallest of margins. Demuro, having lost by a nose the previous year, punched the air in triumph, his belief paying off with a historic win. Romantic Warrior had to settle for second, unable to secure that final burst when it mattered most.
Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee's late-bloomer, Soul Rush, now in the form of his life, secured a landmark victory, adding this win to an already impressive second place in the Hong Kong Mile. It was a bitter disappointment for McDonald and Romantic Warrior, who couldn't finish the campaign on a high after a grueling season.
In third, Maljoom flew late, marking a remarkable comeback. It was a race that will surely be remembered for Soul Rush's unforgettable surge and Romantic Warrior's rare defeat.
Calandagan tried his best impersonation of a bullet train from the back but arrived too late—finishing second, a length and a quarter behind. Durezza hung on for third. Rebel’s Romance, bless him, found out what “aging legs” feel like in elite company.
Japan's UAE Derby stranglehold tightened as Admire Daytona clung on for dear life, nosing out Heart Of Honor in a photo-finish that left young Saffie Osborne staring into the Meydan lights, wondering what might have been.
Ridden positively by Christophe Lemaire, the son of Drefong hit the front early and stayed there—barely. Down the stretch, as Don In The Mood fizzled and Heart Of Honor surged with a dramatic late rally, it looked like Saffie was about to one-up her dad Jamie Osborne’s 2014 win. Instead, she inherited his heartbreak gene, denied by a short-head and a short prayer.
“Honestly, I thought I’d won,” said Lemaire, modestly celebrating the Japanese invasion’s third straight UAE Derby crown. Meanwhile, Team Britain was left holding the silver medal, again.
Admire Daytona now heads to Kentucky, dreams intact. As for Heart Of Honor, it’s another near-miss for the Osbornes—and another example that in racing, the line between triumph and torment is exactly one pixel wide.
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