The three-day horse racing festival is the most sought-after sport event in the country. The pulsating races in front of thousands of racegoers at Al Rayyan Racecourse is an event not to be missed.
The H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, to be held this month from Feb 16 to 18, will feature a staggering total prize money of nearly $ 10 million, the highest ever in the history of the most keenly followed Festival. This was announced by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) management while detailing prize money of all races to be run over the three days of the Festival at QREC Al Rayyan Racecourse.
The mega Festival will start on 16th February 2023 with the Sand Championships Day, which the 32nd race meeting in the current season’s calendar. The meeting will involve eight races and each will have a purse of $100,000. On the following day, the Al Zubara Trophy Day will have a nine-race card with a purse of $100,000 for the first seven races and USD 200,000 for each of the last two races of the day.
The third day and finale of the Festival will see the most prestigious and valuable races and, for the first time in QREC’s history, with total prize money of over $8,000,000. The day will feature nice races, including three with a purse of $500,000 each and four with a purse of $400,000 each. The huge increase in prize money will be in the day’s feature, the H.H. The Amir Sword (Gr1 PA), and the penultimate race of the meeting, the H.H. The Amir Trophy (Gr1 QA) as each of them will have $2,500,000 on offer respectively.
Development of races
H.E. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QREC Chairman, said: “Certainly, raising the value of prizes in the most valuable equestrian festivals will bring about a new era in the history of the event, which is expected to be rich excitement contesting among horse owners, trainers and jockeys who have already expressed their great happiness with this development. In fact, this increase will enhance the development of racing and motivate owners to have the best horses and reap such prize money. Naturally, this will lead to raising the standard of racing to match the immense support from the authorities, who spare no effort to this effect and facilitate all requirements for success both at home and overseas.
Al Darwish: Biggest challenge
On his part, Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Acting CEO, stated that this unprecedented increase has been highly welcomed by owners and trainers. He said: “The responsibility has become greater now for the participants in the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival as we expect top-class racing in line with huge attention paid by the authorities. The three days of the Festival promise to showcase world-class racing, being the biggest challenge for all who involved to win the coveted titles as well as the prize money on offer.”
Al Kubaisi: Raising racing standard
Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, said: “The prize money has been allocated to the 26 races of the Festival over the three days. All the races will be significant and valuable as all owners, trainers and jockeys aspire to be present at the winner’s enclosure in this renewal, which which will be marked by a new standard of maximised motivations given the generous increase in the prize money. This will eventually lead to the further development of horse racing in Qatar”.
World class race
Commenting on the increase of the prize money of the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, trainer Martyn Meade said: “It is exciting news that the H.H. The Amir Trophy (QA Group 1) now has $2.5 million in prize money which confirms it as a top international race … We have been targeting Cresta, owned by Mohammed Bin Hamad Khalifa Al Attiyah, for this race. So far, his preparation is going to plan. He has matured over the winter and we have high hopes. We are sure that the race will attract a very competitive field and we look forward to a really thrilling race.”
About QREC
The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) was established in the early 1960s and was officially made public in 1975. QREC is mandated with representing, promoting and advancing equine and equestrian initiatives from grassroots programmes to the international arena. Focused on equestrian sport and horse welfare, QREC is dedicated on promoting Qatar as a world-class hub for horse racing and a leader in the pure Arabian breed.
QREC works in collaboration with local bodies dedicated to achieving excellence in planning, regulating and developing Qatar’s racing industry to reflect the world’s best practices. By harnessing innovation and excellence and driven by professionalism and integrity, QREC hopes to bring the joy of racing and breeding to the wider public. www.qrec.gov.qa
