Fourteen ecstatic owners shared the podium as their Bhupat Seemar-trained gelding, Imperial Emperor, clinched victory in the G2 Al Maktoum Classic (sponsored by Emirates Airline) on March 1, 2025. Securing his debut place in the prestigious G1 Dubai World Cup.”
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Rise of the Imperial Emperor
Purchased for AED 300,000 ($81,660) at the March 2024 Racing in Dubai Sale, Imperial Emperor entered the AED 1.7 million ($462,740) Al Maktoum Classic as the favourite a year later. The race was far from clear-cut at the start, with the gelding facing the challenge of draw 15 for the 2000-metre course. However, jockey Tadhg O’Shea displayed remarkable skill, securing a prime position on the outside of the leaders. In the final straight, O’Shea timed the acceleration perfectly, leading off the turn as Imperial Emperor stormed home, claiming victory by an impressive eight and a half lengths over stablemate Artorius and Korea’s Global Hit, who delivered a strong performance from the front.
Deva Racing, proud owners of the remarkable Imperial Emperor, have experienced a rapid rise in the horse racing world. As of January 2025, the Worcester-based syndicate manages 26 syndicated horses. In just a few years, they have achieved remarkable success and are now poised for yet another significant milestone, as Imperial Emperor lines up as a bona fide contender for the Dubai World Cup 2025.
“Wow, what a horse!” was how Ryan Tongue, Director of Deva Racing began his response to the win, speaking with palpable delight to the media.
“This a dream come true. I can’t believe we’re in the Dubai World Cup! This horse didn’t owe us anything before tonight, we just wanted him to come home safe.”
Tadhg O’Shea contributed to the celebrations surrounding the win:
“This horse is on the up. I’ve only thrown my leg over him three times and I’ve won all three. That was probably a career best for him. It was a true run race and there was no hiding place out there. He’s very, very genuine.”
Flourishing with a Fresh Start
Historically, Imperial Emperor made an immediate impact, winning his first two races at Newmarket under Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby as a two- and three-year-old. However, he then appeared to lose concentration in two further British starts in 2023 along with a couple of outings at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, before he was sold to Deva Racing last spring.
Since then, Imperial Emperor has thrived given time and the benefit of the sun on his back. He has delivered impressive results for his new owners and trainer Bhupat Seemar, securing two wins in Meydan handicaps in November and December 2024—the second by a stunning seven and a half lengths. More recently, before his latest triumph, he ran a superb second in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge in January this year, finishing behind Walk Of Stars, another top-class son of Dubawi wisely recruited from Godolphin by Seemar.
Reflecting on the run up to his horse’s latest triumph, Tongue, also bloodstock agent for the Worcester-based syndicate, added to his interview:
“Imperial Emperor had been training really well up to the race last weekend; his second in the Group 1 was very good and we thought, ‘Could he really get any better?’ But Bhupat was very positive in the build-up that he’d been working the best he ever had.”
Looking Ahead to the Dubai World Cup
Imperial Emperor is around 8-1 for the $12 million event, with the list headed by recent Saudi Cup (G1) winner, Japanese star Forever Young, widely regarded as an odds-on favourite. Meanwhile, Walk Of Stars, who finished a distant 12th behind Forever Young at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, is also quoted for the Dubai World Cup at around 12-1, with all concerned confident he can bounce back. Laurel River, last year’s winner, ridden by Tadhg O’Shea and trained by Bhupat Seemar, is considered a general 9-2 chance. The projected lineup of 13 for the Dubai World Cup includes the defending champion from 2023, Ushba Tesoro; Saudi Cup 2024 winner, Señor Buscador; and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up, Derma Sotogake. Among the challengers is Kabirkhan, the locally trained and Kazakhstan-owned sensation who won the Maktoum Challenge (G1) in 2024.
Dubai World Cup 2025: Peerless Racing, Style, and Spectacle
There is not long to wait now before Saturday 5th of April 2025 and the always spectacular Dubai World Cup meeting goes into full swing. With $30.5million in prizemoney up for grabs from nine races, what could be better than the chance to witness the best horses, trainers and jockeys from around the world in action in an event, which last year saw winners trained in five different nations. The elite of horse racing will converge on Dubai’s magnificent Meydan Racecourse for a spectacle like no other enriched by the Style Stakes finale, Dubai Racing Club’s annual fashion event, where punters show off their best dressed race day attire, along with the post-racing multiple Guinness World Record-breaking Dubai World Cup closing ceremony lighting up the sky for miles around.
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