Dubai: Jebel Ali Racecourse stages its eighth race meeting of the season on Friday, with the feature race being a competitive conditions event sponsored by Derrinstown Stud.
Eight runners go to the post to battle for the Dh120,000 purse, which is the richest of the day.
Derrinstown is one of eight notable stud farms owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, and is based in County Kildare, Ireland.
Friday's meeting also features the third leg in the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid UAE Breeders Society Challenge, which is sponsored by the Emirates Horse Breeders Society.
Run over a mile, the race, which has attracted a full field of 16 runners, is open to horses four years old and over who are bred in the UAE.
Representatives of the sponsors attended a press conference at the racecourse yesterday chaired by Jebel Ali manager Shareef Al Halawani.
In attendance were Mirza Al Sayegh, Director of Shaikh Hamdan's office, Dr Hussain Habib Al Redha, Chairman of the Emirates Horse Breeders Society (EHBS), Basem Zakaria from Al Shafar Investment, Abdul Haleem Barqawi of Ascana and Michael P Khoury representing Frayland.
Fun day for all
Al Halawani said that there will be special entertainment programmes to keep the younger fans amused throughout the afternoon. More than 100 valuable gifts including mobile phones and electronic items can be won against free coupons which will be distributed with the pick-six forms.
He promised a fun day for all and thanked the sponsors for their commitment to Jebel Ali racing.
