February 13 - Despite Dubai's current financial woes, its new $2 billion Meydan Race Course is proving to be a big hit amongst local and international punters, especially since the start of the prestigious Dubai Horse Racing Carnival, which has attracted many of the world's best horses, trainers and jockeys.

Concerns that construction of Meydan Race course would not be completed before the Dubai Horse Racing Carnival proved to be unfounded, and the scheduled launch of the new state-of-the-art venue went off without a hitch. And with racing of such a high calibre, bookmakers have been doing very well.

Thanks to online sports betting sites, betting fans can from almost anywhere in the world can wager on races in Dubai Horse Racing Carnival, and in some cases even watch them live over the internet. It's giving fans a glimpse of what to expect for Dubai World Cup night, the nation's richest racing program.

And to the credit of the Meydan Race course designers, its new Tapeta synthetic surface has been very well received by both trainers and jockeys. So far the stable of top South African trainer, Mike de Kock, and Dubai's own Godolphin Racing (horses trained by Saeed Bin Suroor) have made their mark on the proceedings.

De Kock has aligned himself with respected Belgian jockey, Christophe Soumillon, and together they have become a regular fixture in the winner's circle. One of which was the notable runner Musir, who de Kock is reportedly hoping will snatch victory in the coveted UAE 2000 Guineas later in the Carnival.

Godolphin, meanwhile, has also had their fair share of winners which is expected, considering the stable is eager to send a tried and tested crop of winners to the Dubai World Cup. Two of its horses that have excelled include Alexandros and Allybar, who will no doubt go into World Cup Night well-backed.

The thing about Dubai horseracing that makes it so attractive for both horsemen and betting fans is that it has a certain 'mystique' to it which may have something to do with being in the desert, the highly lucrative purses or the fact that it continues to attract great horseracing talent from all over the world.