C4 May Extend New Dubai Link to World Cup

The prospect of the mega-bucks Dubai World Cup meeting returning to British terrestrial television was tantalizingly raised yesterday when Channel 4 Racing ushered in the new year under a new banner, with pictures from Cheltenham sponsored by Dubai Holding. Sheikh Mohammed's company came to the rescue with a £4m two-year deal when C4 Racing's previous sponsor, the Tote, decided not to stump up the £2m a year sought by the broadcaster to subsidize coverage.

The World Cup, which began in 1996, was last shown on terrestrial TV back in 2002 by the BBC. This year the meeting, the richest day of racing anywhere in the sport, takes place on the turf and dirt of Nad Al Sheba on Saturday, March 29, preceded by the 10-meeting Dubai International Carnival starting on January 17.

Channel 4 refused to comment officially last night on whether the new sponsorship would mean live coverage of Dubai fixtures this year, but it is understood that discussions will soon take place between the broadcaster and Dubai Holding on pictures from the Carnival, which runs with at least one lucrative meeting a week until March 6, and the Dubai World Cup.