The Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest day of racing, will be run on a synthetic surface for the first time this year.

Meydan Racecourse installed the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface on its 1,750-meter (8.70-furlong) track. The new track will open on January 28 with the Dubai International Racing Carnival. The Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) card will take place on March 27.

The all-weather surface was also installed on Meydan’s training track in March 2009.

“The Tapeta surface has proven to be safe and reliable, and has shown outstanding durability in this climate, having already been in place at the Meydan training track,” said Frank Gabriel Jr., Dubai Racing Club’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to a brand new era of racing at the upcoming 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival and Dubai World Cup with this new all-weather surface course.”

Tapeta Footings was created by trainer Michael Dickinson at his Tapeta Farm in North East, Maryland. The surface is used as the main track at Golden Gate Fields in California and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania. At Meydan, the Tapeta surface is inside the track’s turf course.

Dickinson, who trained 1996 and ’98 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Da Hoss and conditioned the first five finishers of the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup, abandoned training in 2007 to fully concentrate on his Tapeta Footings surface.

“We are delighted that the world class trainers who have used the Tapeta training track at Meydan since it opened in March have given it rave reviews,” Dickinson said. “We are sure Meydan will set the standard for racecourses and racing surfaces that the rest of the world will endeavor to match.”