De Kock Is Coming Back to Dubai — And This Time There Are Two
Legendary South African trainer Mike de Kock returns to the Dubai Racing Carnival alongside his son Mathew
One of the most familiar names in Dubai racing is coming back.
Legendary South African trainer Mike de Kock is preparing to return to Dubai for the 2026–27 racing season—but this time, he will not be doing it alone. De Kock now trains in partnership with his son Mathew de Kock, creating a father-and-son combination that adds a fascinating new chapter to one of Dubai racing’s great international success stories.
According to the official announcement from Dubai Racing Club, De Kock is the Dubai Racing Carnival’s most successful international trainer, with 186 UAE victories, including the Dubai Sheema Classic, Dubai Turf, Al Quoz Sprint and six UAE Derbies.
A Dubai Story Decades in the Making
De Kock became synonymous with Dubai racing during the early years of the international Carnival.
His breakthrough moments included a memorable double on Dubai World Cup night in 2003, when Ipi Tombe captured the Dubai Duty Free and Victory Moon won the UAE Derby. Other outstanding horses followed, including Sun Classique, Shea Shea, Asiatic Boy and Mubtaahij.
Asiatic Boy remains the only horse to have completed the UAE Triple Crown, further underlining the remarkable legacy De Kock established in the Emirates.
His Dubai operation eventually came to an end in 2022 as restrictions surrounding the international movement of horses from South Africa made campaigning increasingly difficult. Those obstacles have eased, opening the door for a return.
The timing also reflects a wider trend that Al Badia recently explored in The Winter Migration: Why More Riders Are Making Dubai Their Cold-Season Base, as more international equestrian professionals look toward the UAE during the winter months.
Father and Son Target Meydan
The biggest difference this time is Mathew.
Mike and Mathew now operate as training partners in South Africa, with the younger De Kock bringing international experience gained in Australia. Their Dubai operation will use Meydan’s international stables rather than maintaining a permanent local staff, with father and son travelling between South Africa and Dubai.
Their initial plans centre on Colorado Del Monte, a dual Group 1 winner in Argentina purchased by Vermaak Equine specifically for a Dubai campaign.
If the three-year-old proves capable, De Kock hopes to target the UAE Classic races—a route the trainer knows exceptionally well after his previous successes with horses including Asiatic Boy and Honor Devil.
Dubai Is Attracting International Trainers Again
The De Kocks will not be the only major international racing operation strengthening its presence in Dubai this winter.
British Group 1-winning trainer George Scott is establishing a 20-box winter base at Meydan for the 2026–27 season. Al Badia recently examined what his decision means for the UAE in Dubai’s Racing Pull Gets Stronger.
Scott’s horses will be able to compete not only at Meydan but also at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Jebel Ali, demonstrating how Dubai can function as a strategic base for racing throughout the Emirates and wider Middle East.
De Kock sees a similar opportunity. He has highlighted the quality of racing and prize money elsewhere in the GCC and believes a Dubai base can help showcase the South African Thoroughbred to owners and racing professionals throughout the region
