Japanese runners dominate the Dubai World Cup meeting with four wins and one shared prize

The Japanese runners dominated the 26th Dubai World Cup meeting, winning four of the seven supporting races for the thoroughbreds and sharing the $5 million Group 1 Dubai Turf.

The Yoshito Yahagi-trained Panthalassa with Yutaka Yoshida on top and the Frankie Dettori-ridden Lord North, winner of the prize 12 months ago, finished in a dead-heat in the most thrilling finish on the night.

However, the most popular winner of the meeting was Bhupat Seemar’s local-trained Switzerland under champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea in the silks of the UAE Football Association President Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi’s RRR Racing.

The Meydan crowd went up in a roar when O'Shea pulled Switzerland out to the centre of the track before charging to a length and three-quarter victory over last year's runner-up Red Le Zele, who was relegated to second again, with top American sprinter Dr Schivel just grabbing third ahead of Chain Of Love.

The early speed between Wondrwherecraigis and Drain The Clock going toe-to-toe at slick fractions in front set race up perfectly for Switzerland to steal the show.

“It’s such a fantastic result,” Seemar, who is the leading trainer in his first season with a training licence, said of the eight year old Speightstown gelding.