DUBAI, March 31 (Xinhua) -- British thoroughbred Heavy Metal, owned by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, won here on Saturday the inaugural race of the 23rd edition of the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup.

The 8-year-old Heavy Metal with starting number nine and ridden by blue-white dressed jockey Ryan Moore, finished the 1,600 meter long dirt track at a time of one minute and 36.21 seconds, far above the track's best time of 1 minute and 34.91 seconds which was achieved by horse "Lend a Hand" in 1999.

Thousands of racing aficionados followed the race amid clear sky and 32 degree Celsius outdoor temperatures.

Heavy Metal's victory marked the 16th win of the Godolphin Mile by a United Arab Emirates-owned horse.

This year's Godolphin Mile which was sponsored by real estate project Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum City distributed one million dollar prize money.

The annual Dubai World Cup is the world's richest horse race as nine races distribute a total of 30 million dollars worth of cash prizes.