(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The stage is set for the opening night of the 2025-2026 Dubai Racing Carnival when Meydan Racecourse, the architectural wonder of world racing, hosts the first of 16 glittering race meetings that build towards the 30th anniversary of the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) next March.

For the first time in the history of the Carnival, launched in 2004, the opening night's card feels like a mini-festival of its own. Highlights which surround a seven-race card sponsored by Dubai's very own Emirates Airline, worth Dh 1.2 million, feature a Dubai World Cup day hero, a trio of champion trainers, and one of the sport's most recognisable faces, as well as a superstar female jockey making a remarkable comeback.

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Whether you're a regular racegoer or just curious about the buzz and glamour of Meydan nights, here are five stories that will keep you informed and engaged.

Sprint-star Dark Saffron reloaded

Few names shine brighter than Dark Saffron, a $25,000 Keeneland September yearling,who stole the show on Dubai World Cup night in April by becoming the first three-year-old colt to win the $2million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1). Trained by Emirati handler Ahmad bin Harmash, who has a background in endurance riding, Dark Saffron returns to open the season in Friday's first race, the Dh 210,000 Emirates Airline Conditions sprint over 1200 metres.

Bin Harmash says he has his eyes on an international double:“The plan is different for Dark Saffron this year. We are planning to take him to Saudi Arabia (for the Riyadh Dirt Sprint) and then come back here for the Shaheen. Last year, he had a lot of racing before the Shaheen, but now that he has his rating (112), he will run only four or five times during the season.”

When Dark Saffron lines up alongside five elite rivals at 5:30pm on Friday, expect some fireworks early.

The 1.2 Million kickoff

Prize money always adds momentum and a bigger appeal, and this year's Carnival opener boasts Dh 1.2 million in total prize money across seven competitive races, the richest start in the event's long history. From promising two-year-olds like Benghazi Star and Six Speed, to older handicappers chasing early glory, every race carries real financial gain and reputational significance.

You couldn't ask for a better start to a racing festival anywhere. For diehards and first-timers alike, it's that heady mix of high stakes, global stars, and the magic only Meydan brings.

The trainers' triple threat

Three of Dubai's most decorated trainers - Doug Watson, Musabbeh Al Mheiri, and Bhupat Seemar - are wasting no time in laying down early markers in the new season's title race. Each formidable handler sends out multiple strong contenders on the card, and each one of them will be eager to land the first major blow in the 2025–26 trainers' championship.

But they won't have it all their own way. Michael Costa, the two-time runner-up from Jebel Ali Stables, and Ahmad bin Harmash, who has been training for nearly a decade and says he's“prepared to shoot for the stars,” have both made their ambitions clear this season.

They're joined by powerful international names like former National Hunt jockey Jamie Osborne, winner of the 2014 UAE Derby with Toast Of New York, and Uruguayan veterinarian-turned-trainer Julio Olascoaga, who brings a fresh, cosmopolitan edge to the regional racing scene.

Could this be the season a new name breaks through Dubai's elite ranks? Let's wait and watch.

Chantal Sutherland's second act

She's been called racing's glamour girl, a model, reality-TV personality, and trailblazing jockey who has graced both racetracks and magazine covers. But for Chantal Sutherland, Friday's ride aboard Kalidasa in the Emirates Airline Handicap is about making her statement and the role that Dubai has played in her life.

It marks just her second race since April, since recovering from a life-threatening accident at Gulfstream Park in 2023. After months of rehabilitation in Dubai, where she worked horses at Bhupat Seemar's Zabeel Stables, Sutherland returns stronger, wiser, and ready to compete again.

“Riding again at Meydan feels like starting a new chapter, and this time, I'm writing it with gratitude for this amazing city,” said Sutherland, who rode Game On Dude to finish 12th behind Monterosso in the 2012 Dubai World Cup.

She rides Kalidasa, a well-bred gelding by Frankel, for trainer Bhupat Seemar, and the former Godolphin trainee looks one to watch. But the bigger story is the ongoing comeback of one of racing's most charismatic personalities.

Global appeal, local charm

From Britain and Brazil to Canada and Denmark, the opening night truly reflects Dubai's global racing appeal and identity. British trainer Jamie Osborne brings flair with Vino Sauro, while Denmark's Veronika Jandova saddles Dark Stream.

Add in the brilliance of Dubai World Cup-winning jockey Silvestre de Sousa, together with fellow Brazilians Sandro Paiva and Bernardo Pinhero, France's Jules Mobian, and the storylines are riveting.

All three are headline grabbing acts and have already discovered early momentum in the UAE.

The final word

The Dubai Racing Carnival isn't just back, it's back bigger and better than ever, and Friday night at Meydan promises a perfect blend of an
exhilarating sport and the spectacle that it brings.

The road to the landmark 30th Dubai World Cup is on the starting grid.

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