Latest News

DUBAI (December 19, 2018)—Thursday’s Racing at Meydan card features a fitting preview of the 10-night Dubai World Cup Carnival, which commences for nine consecutive Thursdays starting on Jan. 3 and ultimately ends with Super Saturday, Mar. 9. Seven races are on tap, including a pair of Listed AED 265,000 (about $72,000) stakes, the Dubai Creek Mile and The Entisar. The evening’s racing will be sponsored by Pillar Partner Azizi Developments with a first post of 6:30 p.m.

Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club staged their penultimate fixture of 2018 on Saturday afternoon, highlighted by the only Thoroughbred race, the HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup, in which Bois De Boulogne snatched what had, for much of the race, appeared a most unlikely victory.

The penultimate Jebel Ali fixture of 2018 on Friday afternoon, a 1600m conditions race restricted to 3-year-olds, was won emphatically by Draco, who was never headed under Chris Hayes for racecourse patron, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Trained on the Jebel Ali track by Nicholas Bachalard, Draco had impressed when winning a similar conditions event on his local debut over 1400m a month ago, but seemingly built on that here, under a penalty for that victory, to land the spoils and maintain his unbeaten UAE record.

Al Ain staged their final meeting of 2018 on Thursday, highlighted by a 2000m Purebred Arabian handicap which was won in determined fashion by Inthar, something of a surprise winner, driven clear by Bernardo Pinheiro for Khalifa Al Neyadi who both owns and trains the winner.

The 3-year-olds take centre stage at Friday’s penultimate Jebel Ali fixture of 2018 with ten of the classic generation declared for a 1600m conditions race in which Draco will look to build on his scintillating local debut four weeks ago. Trained on the Jebel Ali track by Nicholas Bachalard for racecourse patron His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Draco and Tadhg O’Shea landed a 1400m conditions event, also restricted to 3-year-olds, on that occasion to provide the trainer a first winner since taking over at the adjacent Jebel Ali Stables.

All eyes were on Muntazah, runner-up in the 2018 Godolphin Mile (G2) on the Dubai World Cup card on his previous outing and one of the 15 runners in Sunday’s 1600m Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Listed) for Thoroughbreds at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Saddled by Doug Watson for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, his trainer had warned he would improve for the outing with big targets awaiting at Meydan during the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Friday’s third Al Ain meeting of the current campaign was highlighted by the final event of seven, a 2000m handicap and one that will always remain very special to local trainer Helal Al Alawi who saddled his 100th career winner courtesy of Da’Areen who won fairly comfortably under Richard Mullen.