WHERE: Nad Al Sheba Race Course, DubaiWHEN: March 29th, 2008

With a prize of $6 million this is the richest horse race in the world, but the five races before it are worth a combined $15 million—hardly small change. The atmosphere in Dubai during the build-up is electric, with lavish parties in hotels across the city. On race day Ferraris and Rolls Royces are raffled, there are fashion shows featuring various supermodels, and Saks Fifth Avenue even offers an original Louis Feraud Hat to the best-dressed woman. This being Dubai there are no shortages of places to stay, but the 1,000-foot-tall Dhow-shaped Burj Al Arab makes Vegas’s glitziest palaces seem jaded.

For more information: The Dubai World Cup