From left: Yasser Mabrouk, Amer Mohammed Makki, Lara Sawaya, Mohamed Al Ahmed, John Hyde and Mohammed Khalifa Bin Dasmal pose after the press conference.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Thoroughbred racing will take centre stage when Jebel Ali Racecourse — known for its ‘Garden Party’ ambiance — opens its doors for the exciting new season on Saturday.

The seven race-card features six thoroughbred races and offers a prize purse of Dhs470,000, of which Dhs84,000 is allocated to the Shadwell-sponsored Season Opening Cup.

During the season, the Jebel Ali Racecourse will host 11 race meetings, including three internationally recognised stakes races — the Jebel Ali Stakes, Jebel Ali Mile, and Jebel Ali Sprint.

Besides the top-quality racing, the Emirates Sprint Series also returns for its second edition following its overwhelming success.

Details of the season opener were revealed in a press conference on Thursday attended by Mohamed Al Ahmed, General Manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse; Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival; John Hyde, Shadwell trainer; Yasser Mabrouk, Director of Racing Development at the Emirates Racing Authority; Amer Mohammed Makki, Senior Manager Strategic Planning at Commercial Bank of Dubai; and Mohammed Khalifa Bin Dasmal, CEO of Bin Dasmal Group.

Ahmed thanked Jebel Ali Racecourse patron Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his unflinching support and inspiring guidance. He also expressed gratitude to Engineer Mohammed Saeed Al Shehi, Member of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Emirates Horse Racing Authority.

“As Jebel Ali Racecourse readies to open doors for another season, I would like to express my gratitude to all our partners who have helped us raise the bar over the course of more than three decades.

“We’ve put plans in place to really boost racing and the entire racing experience at the club, not just for trainers, owners, and jockeys, but also for the fans, and we look forward to the first meeting and the new season full of excitement,” he added.

The first meeting of the season on Saturday will also mark the return of the venue’s pillar partners, including Shadwell, Dubai Refreshment (PJSC), Commercial Bank of Dubai, Al Shafar, and Orient Irrigation Services, as sponsors of the races.

“We are delighted to see that our long-standing partners are continuing to work together and support racing, and we are happy to welcome many new partners to the sponsorship roster, such as the Sheikh Mansoor Festival, Audi, and Porsche. This year, our racing will be concept-based, and each meeting will be dedicated to a particular theme.”

In the UAE racing scene, Jebel Ali has blazed a historic trail by supporting and organising some of the most exciting races ever held in the nation.

“The lofty status achieved by the racecourse epitomises the unwavering support and dynamic vision of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,” said the Jebel Ali Racecourse General Manager.Ahmed also hailed the role played by the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) in their support and cooperation in conducting the race meets at Jebel Ali.

Sawaya said: “We are happy to join the sponsorship roster at Jebel Ali Racecourse, who have been doing a perfect job by staging racing of the highest quality at the venue.

“The Sheikh Mansoor Festival is dedicated to promoting Purebred Arabian racing globally. Thanks to our festival, we have witnessed significant growth in the sport, and we eagerly anticipate the recently launched season. We will continue to support Purebred Arabian racing and wish Jebel Ali the best of luck in their endeavour,” she added.

For more than three decades, Shadwell, the international racing and breeding empire of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has stood tall as a pillar of support for the Jebel Ali.