Doha: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) is set to host a thrilling horse race on Saturday at the Al Rayyan grass track, featuring the HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani Cup and Prize.
According to Qatar News Agency, the event comprises nine heats and is anticipated to be a highlight of the annual racing season. The competition promises intense rivalry among the participating horses, with owners, trainers, and jockeys eager to secure top positions.
The third and fourth races are the main attractions of the day. The third race, the HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses (Group 2), covers a distance of 1600 meters and offers a prize of QAR 500,000. Nine horses are set to compete in this international race. The fourth race, also offering a prize of QAR 500,000, is for Locally Bred Purebred Arabian Horses, with ten horses over the same distance.
The other races include the maiden and winning thoroughbred horses aged four years and older in the first race, which covers 1600 meters with sixteen competitors vying for QAR 100,000. The second race, featuring thoroughbreds with a handicap rating of 70-90, spans 1400 meters, also with a prize of QAR 100,000 and sixteen horses competing.
Further races include the fifth, a qualifier for the Shalfah race at the HH The Amir's Sword Festival, featuring thoroughbreds rated 75-95 over 2000 meters, with a QAR 100,000 prize. The sixth race, the French King Cup for locally bred thoroughbreds, offers QAR 150,000 for a 1600-meter race with twelve contenders.
The seventh race, the Umm Qarn Prize, is another Shalfah race qualifier, offering QAR 200,000 for a 2000-meter race with nine horses. The eighth race, the HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani Silver Cup, involves purebred Arabian horses owned by Qatari nationals, offering QAR 250,000 over 1600 meters with ten entries.
Concluding the event is the ninth and main race, the Majd Al Arab Sprint Cup for purebred Arabian horses, over 1200 meters, with a prize of QAR 350,000 and thirteen horses competing.
Reflecting on last year's event, "Al Mirage," owned by Al Shaqab Racing, won the ninth main race, while "Al Wakra," also owned by Al Shaqab Racing, claimed victory in the eighth race. Both horses were expertly guided by their respective jockeys and trainers.