Life Is Good headlines $12m Dubai World Cup as 11-runner field announced for 2022 race

American superstar Life Is Good headlines a likely field of 11 runners in the 26th running of the $12 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on March 26.

Life Is Good arrives in Dubai having won five of his six career starts, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the Pegasus World Cup in his last two runs.

Challenging the Todd Pletcher-trained horse are three other American raiders: Doug O’Neill’s Hot Rod Charlie, Bob Baffert’s Country Grammer, and Steve Asmussen’s Midnight Bourbon.

Hot Rod Charlie has been based in Dubai since January and won the Group 2 Maktoum Challenge Round 2, while Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon were second and third respectively in the Saudi Cup three weeks ago.

The international line-up also sees participation from Uruguay, with Premio Latinoamericano winner Aero Trem taking his chance for trainer Antonio Cintra Pereira, while last year’s runner-up Chuwa Wizard of Japan and 2021's third-placed horse, Godolphin’s Magny Cours, return.

Saeed bin Suroor’s Real World is Godolphin’s second runner while Salem bin Ghadayer’s Hypothetical and Bhupat Seemar’s Remorse are the two other local runners in the field. The William Haggas-trained Grocer Jack is the sole entry from the UK.

Real World was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Zabeel Mile on the turf at Meydan before being unplaced in the Saudi Cup on the dirt.

Hypothetical and Remorse were first and second in the Group 1 Maktoum Challenge Round-3 over the track and trip on Super Saturday, the Dubai World Cup dress rehearsal.

Country Grammer finished runner-up at the Saudi Cup. AP

“We are delighted with the strength of the entries for the 26th Dubai World Cup meeting,” Major General Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, general manager of