DOHA: Under the patronage of H H the Emir Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, the region’s most expansive celebration of horses got underway yesterday at the Outdoor Arena of Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF).
Hosted by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) the eight-day event culminates in the running of Qatar’s richest race day which boasts total prize money in excess of €2.5m. The event features two Group 1 races in the H H The Emir’s Sword for Purebred Arabians and the H H The Emir’s Trophy for Thoroughbreds.
International visitors can look forward to a full programme of events beginning with the 24th Qatar International Arabian Horse Show which takes place in the Outdoor Arena of QEF, an open house event at Al Shaqab, the 5th Qatar Straight Egyptian Arabian Horse Show and a visit to Al Shahania Stud from where trainer Julian Smart has sent out three of the last four winners of the H H The Emir’s Sword.
A formal opening ceremony took place last evening hosted by international racing celebrity Derek Thompson who will be presenting all three days of next week’s race meeting.
QREC Chairman H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh Al Thani said: “H H The Emir 24th International Equestrian Sword Festival is a celebration of our passion for the horse and in addition to helping raise Qatar’s international reputation as a business, leisure and sporting destination. All of this provides us with an opportunity to welcome representatives of the international racing community.”
Last year’s winners of both feature races are set to line up again this year on February 26, organisers said. Dubday, formerly trained in the UK by Sir Michael Stoute, is all set to bid for back-to-back victories in the H H The Emir’s Trophy after winning the 2014 renewal for trainer Jassim Al Ghazali and Frankie Dettori.
Popular trainer Smart will be hoping that come February 26 Assay can provide his fifth winner of the prestigious H H The Emir’s Sword since 2005.
THE PENINSULA
