The 2003 Dubai World Cup was a horse race held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Saturday 29 March 2003. It was the 8th running of the Dubai World Cup.
The winner was Godolphin's Moon Ballad, a four-year-old chestnut horse trained in Dubai by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Frankie Dettori. Moon Ballad's's victory was the second in the race for Dettori, the fourth for bin Suroor and the third for Godolphin.
Moon Ballad was originally trained in England by David Loder before being transferred to Saeed bin Suroor's stable in 2002. As a three-year-old he won the Dante Stakes and the Select Stakes as well as finishing third in the Epsom Derby and second in the Champion Stakes. He prepared for the World Cup by winning the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge in February. In the 2003 Dubai World Cup he started the 11/4 second favourite and won by five lengths from the American challenger Harlan's Holiday with the 11/8 favourite Nayef a length away in third place.
Race details Sponsor: none Purse: £3,750,000; First prize: £2,250,000 Surface: Dirt Going: Fast Distance: 10 furlongs Number of runners: 11 Winner's time: 2:00.48
Full result Pos. Marg. Horse (bred) Age Jockey Trainer (Country) Odds 1 Moon Ballad (IRE) 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor (GB/UAE) 11/4 2 5 Harlan's Holiday (USA) 4 John R. Velazquez Todd Pletcher (USA) 11/2 3 1 Nayef (USA) 5 Richard Hills Marcus Tregoning (GB) 11/8 fav 4 shd Grandera (IRE) 5 Jamie Spencer Saeed bin Suroor (GB/UAE) 5/1 5 3 State Shinto (USA) 7 Johnny Murtagh John D. Sadler (UAE) 100/1 6 nk Grundlefoot (USA) 6 Sebastian Madrid Kevin McAuliffe (USA) 20/1 7 6¾ Blue Burner (USA) 6 Kent Desormeaux Bill Mott (USA) 66/1 8 2¼ Sei Mi (ARG) 7 J. A. Velez Jerry Barton (KSA) 50/1 9 2¾ Aquarelliste (FR) 5 Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche (FR) 15/2 10 7¾ Crimson Quest (IRE) 6 Alex Solis Jerry Barton (KSA) 100/1 11 ½ Hans Anderson (USA) 5 Wigberto Ramos A. Mishreff (KSA) 66/1 Abbreviations: DSQ = disqualified; nse = nose; nk = neck; shd = head; hd = head; nk = neck
Winner's details Further details of the winner, Moon Ballad Sex: Stallion Foaled: 4 March 1999 Country: Ireland Sire: Singspiel; Dam: Velvet Moon (Shaadi) Owner: Godolphin Breeder: Newgate Stud
References