Dubai: The Jebel Ali Racecourse is set to stage its fifth meeting of the season on Friday with a competitive-looking six-race card. Shadwell Farm lends its name to the feature race, the prep race for the Jebel Ali Stakes.
A field of 10 go to post to lay down their credentials for the Pattern event, which is one of the highlights of the season at the popular Friday racecourse.
The field is led by course specialist Treble Jig, who won two major races at the track last term, including the Jebel Ali Stakes and Jebel Ali Mile.
His main rival is Haatheq, third in the Prep last year and runner-up to Treble Jig in the Mile.
Mirza Al Sayegh, chairman of Shadwell, said that he was looking forward to attending another thrilling day’s racing at Jebel Ali. “Every week Jebel Ali puts on a great show, both on and off the track,” he said. “The entertainment value of the racing at the course is second to none.
“As principal sponsor, Shadwell is delighted to be involved with Jebel Ali Racecourse and continues to support its drive to further establish itself as on the best venues for the sport of horse racing in the UAE.
“I would like to thank all our supporting sponsors for their commitment and invaluable support to racing at Jebel Ali Racecourse. They have been a key factor in helping the racecourse achieve the success and status that it has.”
Shareef Al Halawani, Manager at Jebel Ali Racecourse, also extended his thanks to the sponsors — among them Emirates Horse Breeders Society, Al Shafar Investment, Ascana, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Al Hudaiba Contracting.
“We would also like to thank the fans that flock to Jebel Ali,” he said. “They help create an energy and atmosphere that makes racing at our course so very special. As always, Jebel Ali Racecourse will give away free gifts to the public, while several top prizes can be won during the races, through the Lucky Dip.
“We would also like to thank Al Habtoor Motors for offering a Mitsubishi Lancer, which will be raffled on the day. Al Habtoor have also generously donated iPads for one lucky kid, which is a very warm and inspiring gesture.”
The press conference was also attended by Basem Zakaria (Al Shafar Investment), Abdul Haleem Barqawi (Ascana), Shareef Boghdady (Al Hudaiba Contracting, Anan Nimer (Al Habtoor), Amir Makki (CBD) and Yasser Mabrouk (Emirates Racing Authority).
Entrance to Jebel Ali Racecourse is free.
