A star studded cast of the world’s best racehorses of 2014 highlight the nominations for the 2015 Dubai World Cup, the 20th running of the world’s richest raceday.

Of the current 20 highest-rated Thoroughbreds in the world that remain in training 13 feature among the 2,142 nominations from 19 countries for the meeting on Saturday March 28, including the highest rated horses from Japan, Hong Kong, Great Britain and the USA.

The US$10m Group 1 Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, attracted 296 nominations made notable by the presence of the first seven over the line in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic which includes US Horse of the Year, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, California Chrome, UAE Derby winner Toast Of New York and Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist.

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern attempts to give trainer Bob Baffert a third Dubai World Cup success following Silver Charm in 1998 and Captain Steve in 2001.

Also among the list from the USA is the Champion Older Male and Champion Turf Horse of 2014, Main Sequence, trained by Graham Motion, who prepared Animal Kingdom to win the Dubai World Cup in 2013.

Japanese stars also dominate, with many holding multiple nominations for the three richest races on the big day, the $6m Group 1 2,400m Dubai Sheema Classic presented by Longines, the newly-named 1800m $6m Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World and the 2000m Dubai World Cup.

The Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Epiphaneia, the highest-rated horse in training, holds a Dubai World Cup nomination for owners U Carrot Farm. It was Sumii who was responsible for the 2011 Dubai World Cup victory of Victoire Pisa and he is preparing his Japan Cup winner for another tilt at the US$10m race, although the horse also holds nominations for the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Dubai Turf. Gold Ship, the Takarazuka Kinen star trained by Naosuke Sugai is also on the list from Japan, as is Derby winner, One and Only and 1000 Guineas winner, Harp Star who represent Japan’s 2014 Classic generation.

Hong Kong was responsible for the two sprint winners on Dubai World Cup day last season and trainer John Moore, who won the 1200m $2m Dubai Golden Shaheen with Sterling City looks to hold a strong hand with the world’s best miler, 2014 Hong Kong Mile victor, Able Friend on the list for the Dubai Turf, as well as Hong Kong Cup winner, Designs on Rome. Second in that race, Military Attack trained by Caspar Fownes, has also been nominated. Peniaphobia, the Tony Cruz-trained sprinter which won the 2014 Jockey Club Sprint as well as the recent Hong Kong Group 1 Centenary Sprint has also been nominated for the Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News. Hong Kong Sprint winner, Aerovelocity trained by Paul O’Sullivan has also been nominated for both the Dubai Golden Shaheen and the $1m Al Quoz Sprint empowered by IPIC.

Godolphin is well represented across the board by both Charlie Appleby and the 2014 Dubai World Cup winning trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor, as is Dubai World Cup Carnival regular, Mike de Kock. Sir Fever represents an interesting new recruit for Appleby. The multiple Uruguayan Group 1 winner has been nominated for the Dubai World Cup as well as the Dubai Sheema Classic, Dubai Turf and the UAE Derby.

Meanwhile six-time Dubai World Cup-winning trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor has nominated his 2014 winner, African Story for a defense of his title.

Dubai Racing Club’s International Manager, Martin Talty said: “I believe this is the strongest group of entries we have had for the Dubai World Cup meeting in its 20 years history. The strength of the USA challenge is evident with the first seven over the line in the Breeders’ Cup Classic as well as Main Sequence. Match that with the best from Asia, a region that has shown to be among the leaders, if not the leader, in international racing in recent years and with Epiphaneia, Harp Star, Gold Ship and One And Only from Japan and Able Friend from Hong Kong proves how strong the depth is this year

“As we approach the big day on March 28, so the fields will come more firmly into focus and we hope that most of these very accomplished horses that have been aimed at the 20th renewal of the raceday will remain in the final fields. There is a lot of competition from racing jurisdictions to attract the best and to have nominations from so many of the world’s top-rated horses is a great achievement for the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Racing Club and Meydan Group and proves that it is at the pinnacle of international racing.”