(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
The Peninsula
Doha: Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) management, led by QREC Chairman, Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, has added the final touches before launching the 2020/2021 racing season.
The new season promises to be rich with thrilling racing, fulfilling QREC's vision and strategy of maintaining and enhancing Qatar's excellent standing in the horse racing world while fulfilling the related international standards and requirements.
The kick-off will be on Wednesday with the first race meeting featuring Al Ghariya Cup at the sand track of the Al Rayyan Racecourse. The turf track will host the second meeting featuring Al Hamla Cup the following day.
The 2020/2021 season will boast a new record in the number of race days with 70 race meetings to be held throughout the season.
The Al Uqda Racecourse has been added to the official racing programme following the successful trials last season and ensuring that it is ready to host races with the availability of all the necessary logistics.
With 55 race days at Al Rayyan and 15 at Al Uqda, the new season will continue for eight months, starting on October 14, 2021 and up to the last meeting on May 5, 2022.
QREC Chairman, Al Mohannadi pointed out that preparations for the new season began immediately after the end of the last season.
“I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the QREC Racing Department for their continuous efforts since the end of the last season”, he said.
“The new programme, in terms of both quality and quantity, ensures diversity and opportunities for all, which is a key goal for QREC. No doubt, with 70 race days at both Al Rayyan and Al Uqda, we have brought about a quantum leap in the history of QREC," he added.
"The addition of Al Uqda Racecourse to the programme will enhance local races and is a step in favour of the QREC's strategy of boosting the standard of local bred horses.”
The QREC Chairman added: "Normally, the H H The Amir Sword Festival will be the focus of attention, as it is most important event organised by QREC every season. As usual, the Festival will be held over three days in February at Al Rayyan turf track. A new positive thing this season is that the programme with this number of race meetings allows participation on a larger scale by all horse owners, trainers and jockeys, whether the pioneering generation who have contributed to the progress of this sport which we cherish, the middle generation who have proved themselves in the recent years, or the new generation who are gaining experience to continue this development in future."
"We see this as a beginning for more to come to take Qatar's horse racing to the highest international levels and we wish everyone all the best in the new season," the QREC Chairman added.
Meanwhile, QREC Acting CEO, Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, lauded the racing programme, which was developed to reflect the QREC management's keenness on continuous development and achieving the general interest.
“This season's programme is distinguished indeed,” he noted.“It has been well received by the horse owners and trainers through their meetings with the Racing Department. It has seen a number of changes, which allow opportunities for all. The dates of certain major race days have been amended in order to maximise the number of international runners and, consequently, enhance the international standing of Qatar's international racing events,” he added.
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