Chengdu Dubai International Cup
The Chengdu Dubai International Cup (CDIC) Wenjiang-Meydan Classic has become a key fixture on the international horse-racing calendar.
First launched in 2014, the CDIC competition consists of five races: the 1,400m Wenjiang Sprint, 1,600m Guangsha Handicap, Meydan Handicap, 1,600m Wenjiang Meydan Classic, and Chengdu Dubai International Cup.
The Chengdu-based race was established through the partnership of the Meydan Group, Chengdu’s municipal government, Chengdu sports bureau, Wenjiang district government, and China Guangsha Group. The event is representative of the growing ties between China and the United Arab Emirates.
Running parallel to the CDIC is a China-UAE Economic, Trade and Cultural Summit, an event providing a platform for in-depth discussions on topics such as horse-racing, urban development, and culture and trade exchanges between China and the United Arab Emirates.
The world’s leading jockeys will gather together in Chengdu’s Wenjiang district as the 2017 Chengdu Dubai International Cup (CDIC) Meydan Classic gears up to take place on April 2.
The event will see international jockeys compete for a total of 3.75 million yuan ($544,361) in prize money.
Five major races, including the Wenjiang Sprint (1,400m), Guangsha Mile (1,600m), Meydan Handicap, Wenjiang Meydan Classic and Chengdu-Dubai International Cup, are pitting five Chinese jockeys against visiting internationals.
The 2017 CDIC Wenjiang-Meydan Classic has been organized by Emirates Racing Authority, Chengdu government, and Wenjiang sports bureau.
As scheduled, the second China-UAE Economic, Trade and Cultural Summit will be held alongside this year’s race to allow in-depth discussions on topics including city development, cultural exchange, and trade relations between companies from China and the United Arab Emirates.
Race horses of 2017 CDIC
A total of 47 of the world’s leading racehorses landed in Chengdu on March 25 in anticipation of the 2017 Chengdu Dubai International Cup Meydan Classic scheduled to take place on April 2.
The horses are all elite thoroughbreds owned and bred by Dubai’s sheik, each worth millions of dollars.
“There are 300,000 thoroughbreds in the world and these are some of the best. They have all raced in the Dubai World Cup,” said a staff member from Chengdu Shengqiang Equestrianism Enterprise.
Thoroughbreds are horses known for their agility, speed, and spirit. They are capable of covering a distance of 1,000 meters in 53.7 seconds.
British jockey Royston Ffrench wins Chengdu Dubai Intl Cup
Royston Ffrench, a jockey from the United Kingdom, won the 2,200-meter Chengdu Dubai International Cup, the richest race with a total purse of 1.5 million yuan ($241,500), at the Chengdu Dubai International Cup Wenjiang-Meydan Classic, which was held on April 6 at the Jinma racecourse in Wenjiang district, Chengdu, Sichuan province.
Top jockeys to compete at Wenjiang in April
The Chengdu government and Emirates Racing Authority will join forces to stage the second Chengdu Dubai International Cup in Wenjiang, an equestrianism center in Chengdu, Sichuan province on April 3, 2015.
Twelve jockeys from Dubai Racing Club and 59 horses will take part in the annual equestrian event. The horses come from the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, Australia, Argentina and Saudi Arabia and will be transported to Wenjiang at the end of March.
And they're off! Annual horse racing classic kicks off in Wenjiang
Chengdu's annual classic horse race got underway with an opening ceremony at the city's Wenjiang Jinma International Equestrian Sports Center on April 2.
The Chengdu Dubai International Cup (CDIC) Wenjiang-Meydan Classic, as it is known, is a key fixture on the international horse racing calendar and will take place in the city for the third time this year.
Location
Wenjiang is 16 kilometers west of downtown Chengdu, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, the well-developed transport system allows people to travel between the city center and Wenjiang district in less than half an hour.
Well-equipped racecourse
The Wenjiang Jinma Equestrian Sports Park, covering an area of around 30 square kilometers, is the largest and the best equipped racecourse in mainland China. Its 2,000-meter-long, 25-meter-wide race track can accommodate 16 race horses at one time.
The equestrian park has six two-story stables, which are able to accommodate 240 horses. Services such as baths, disinfection, epidemic prevention and medical treatment are available.
Rich event experiences
Wenjiang has been annually hosting the China Equestrian Festival since 2011, giving it rich experience in quarantine inspection, disinfection and transportation.
Numerous multinational companies
As of September 2015, 262 companies on the Global Fortune 500 list have settled in Chengdu. The executives of these companies are some of the main forces supporting equestrian sports in Wenjiang.
