The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), led by QREC Chairman, His Excellency Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi has announced the 2019-2020 racing season calendar at Al Rayyan park. The race began last week and will conclude on 23rd April, 2020, with the 47th race meeting, Al Karana Cup Day. On the Owners Cup Day, there will be eight races on sand which will cover various distances and horse categories.
This season will conduct several international meetings and some of them will be staged on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Based on the calendar approved by QREC management, the races will be on sand and turf.
“The calendar focuses on racing varieties, races suiting horse categories, encouraging Arabian racing and promoting the equestrian culture in the society at large,” said QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida al-Kaabi.
In reference to the most esteemed race meeting of the season, QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida al-Kaabi said, ” His Highness The Amir Sword Festival will be in late February 2020″.
The main highlight of the season’s events is ‘The three-day Festival’ which will feature some top-quality races, including HH The Amir Sword (Gr1 PA) for four-year-old and older pure Arabians over 2400m with USD1,000,000 as prize money. The desired title is targeted by all trainers, owners and jockeys. There will also be some prestigious races, including the His Highness The Amir Trophy (Gr1) for Thoroughbreds over 2400m with USD1,000,000 as prize money.
“In the previous seasons , the current race was competed by the International runners which explains its top quality. On the season’s Festival finale , there will be the His Highness The Amir Silver Sword for four-year-old pure Arabians over 1850m with a purse of USD250,000 and the His Highness The Amir Shalfa for four-year-old and older Thoroughbreds over 2000m with USD250,000 as prize money.”
‘Al Biddah Mile’ is the another feature event of the Festival. This Group 2 race focuses on running over a mile and will be reserved for three-year-old Thoroughbreds with prize money of USD250,000.
One of the most valuable events of the Flat racing season in Qatar is the “His Highness The Amir Sword Festival”. Al-Kaabi said, “it plays host to the best flat horses from Qatar as well as draws big-name runners from other countries to compete against each other.”
Other valuable races over the three days include the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, the Group 3 Dukhan Sprint, the Gulf Cup (PA), Al Rayyan Breeders Cup, the Purebred Arabian Sprint Cup, the Al Zubara Trophy for local pure Arabians. All races of the Festival will take place on the turf.
There will also be some other important race days, including the Qatar International Derby, the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy Day (Qatar National Day) and the His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy Day in December this year, the His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Cup and Trophy Day in January 2020, and the Qatar Gold Sword Day in April 2020.
