Capannelle, Rome: It’s easy to forget about history. But events likes Dubai Day, a glittering day of flat racing when thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian horses blend seamlessly, help remind us about the glorious past and the journey to the present.
Dubai Day is one of the annual sporting highlights at the historic racecourse which was built in 1881, a quaint sporting venue that stands as a majestic tenant of the peerless Roman architecture and the country’s love for art and sport.
Capannelle Racecourse was rebuilt in 1925 to a design by the much decorated Italian architect Paolo Viett-Violi, who redeveloped the racecourse without altering its original aura.
It was against this majestic setting that the 2019 Dubai International Arabian Races (DIAR), a series of 17 high-quality Purebred Arabian racedays, played out it’s opening chapter in the presence of a large crowd of racegoers. DIAR is a concept Purebred Arabian series created by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
Shaikh Hamdan in one of the most influential owner-breeders of the racecourse, but it is the Purebred Arabian that he passionately supports in a bid to gain worldwide acceptance for the horse on the sporting landscape.
Events like DIAR at Capannelle go a long way to achieving that goal.
The racecourse was buzzing with excitement as crowds were witness to nine incredibly thrilling races highlight by the Italian 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, the first Classics of the season.
It did not matter who won or who lost, but everyone who came to the historic racecourse to partake in a feast of racing, uniquely blending Arabian and thoroughbred action of the highest order, went home with warm memories.
At the end, everyone was a winner. And that’s what makes sport such a beautiful thing.
