Halawani hails Emirates support to Jebel Ali

The fifth meeting of the Jebel Ali Racecourse season on Friday is highlighted by 1,200m Conditions race for three-year-olds.

All the six races are sponsored by Emirates Airline as the UAE’s award-winning airline underlines its support for horse racing in the UAE.

The feature, which will be run over six furlongs, has attracted a quality field of nine horses and carries a prize purse of Dhs100,000.

Jebel Ali trainer Nicholas Bachalard, who won the 1600m race with Boerhan last week in Abu Dhabi, has pinned hopes on Raakezz.

Eshaasy, owned by Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE’s Minister of Finance Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, makes his local debut. Now with Ali Al Rayhi having moved from John Gosden in the UK, the Oasis Dream gelding was a winner as recently as July when taking a handicap at Sandown. A classy addition to the UAE ranks, he will try dirt for the first time.

Sheikh Hamdan is also well represented with three runners in the second race of the card, the highest rated of whom is Fawaareq, who was only narrowly beaten when second here over seven furlongs three weeks ago.

Fawaareq has a good chance here and is the pick of Dane O’Neill. He faces 12 including Kawasir, who is yet to build on his 2018 Meydan maiden win and tries Jebel Ali for the second time.

Speaking during a press conference held at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Tuesday, Sheikh Rashid Bin Jamal Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Emirates Sales Manager, expressed his happiness over the airline’s continued support to racecourse’s activities and its sponsorship of Friday’s entire card under the banner of Jumeirah meeting.

“Emirates’ support of horse racing, here in Dubai and elsewhere, is well known and has been one of the mainstays of our sports sponsorship portfolio for a long time,” he added.

Apart from the Dubai World Cup, Emirates also sponsors events across the world including meetings at Newmarket and York in the UK, the Breeders’ Cup in the US and the Melbourne Cup in Australia.

Shareef Al Halawani, Jebel Ali Racecourse manager, hailed the support of Emirates Airlines.

“For more than 20 overs Emirates is associated with Jebel Ali. We are thankful to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, for his unwavering support.

“It is going to be a very competitive day of racing and we have big fields in most of the races and in all 64 horses will be competing at Jebel Ali this week,” he added.

Halawani also expressed delighted over the positive feedback from jockeys and Emirates Racing Authority stewards about the track conditions.

Jebel Ali has always been a popular racecourse for trainers and jockeys, but unfortunately due to the COVID-19 situation racing is being held without fans.

“We hope fans will make the time to follow all of the racing online. We are doing our best to make the most of the situation and the online competition is a good way for fans to stay involved in racing,” Halawani added.