Dubai Summer Festival launched today (Tuesday)

The three-day fixture was launched at a press conference at Newbury Racecourse earlier today (Tuesday)

THE 2011 Dubai Summer Festival at Newbury Racecourse has been officially launched today (Tuesday).

The three-day fixture, which is staged under the patronage of the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, commences on Friday, July 15 with the Rose Bowl Stakes Day.

The festival features a range of thoroughbred racing action, including the £200,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint on Saturday (July 16) and a European showcase for Arabian racing - the International Arabian Race Day - which takes place on Sunday (July 17) with free admission.

More than £500,000 prize money is on offer across the three days, while a host of promotional activities and competitions will take place for racegoers, including a best dressed lady and best children's hat competition and a megadraw to win a brand new Peugeot 107 Urban Lite car, among many other giveaways.

His Excellency Mirza Al Sayegh said today (Tuesday) he was sure the summer festival would be as successful as it had been in recent years, adding that racegoers would enjoy all that the festival had to offer.

Meanwhile, Newbury Racecourse joint managing director, Stephen Higgins, said the summer festival was a very special and important meeting for Newbury, which he said was growing in stature every year, encouraging many new visitors to the racecourse.