Dubai World Cup: ‘Focus will always be on the racing’, says Racing Club

Dubai: A top official of the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) has said that they do not see the need to change any aspect of the Dubai World Cup night unless it’s intrinsically linked to horseracing.

“We would never want to change any part of the racing, unless of course these changes are meant to make the racing better,” the club’s CEO Frank Gabriel Jr told Gulf News on Thursday.

“We are in a constant mode of review and study and would never want to change any of it, provided things are going to benefit the racing. For us, racing has always been the highlight and it will always be so,” he stressed.

One of the innovations in Dubai racing season was the introduction of the Dubai International Racing Carnival more than a decade ago. While the first year of the Carnival attracted a field of just 75 horses, that number has crossed the 300-mark this season.

“The Dubai International Racing Carnival is definitely one of the key moments in the build-up to World Cup night over the years. Today, it is not just about the size and quality of the field we attract, but the sheer spectacle of having so many star horses racing and preparing for the main night,” Gabriel Jr observed.

“The quality and level of competition at the carnival has become as strong as it can get. And we can see from the fact that there are at least ten to 15 runners who make it to World Cup night. There is no doubt in our minds that the carnival is a great lead-in to the night,” he added.

Gabriel Jr left his position as executive vice-president of racing and racing secretary at Arlington Park to join the Dubai Racing Club in October, 2008.

He was with Arlington Park from 1989 where he had served in various capacities. His dedication and vision have been the driving force of racing excellence behind the Citation Challenge and the 2002 Breeders’ Cup.

Gabriel Jr served as Director of Racing for the New York Racing Association in 1998 and rose through the ranks at many of the country’s premier racing venues including Garden State, Atlantic City, Hialeah Park and Meadowlands.