July return for richer races

International field strengthened for Annual Arabian day

NEWBURY Racecourse will be hosting a richer than ever Dubai International Race Day as the climax of a multi-national series of races.

The annual free day’s racing, run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will be staged at Newbury on Sunday, July 24, and will again have the aim of educating people about the Arabian breed, the sport of Arabian horse racing and the Arabic culture which underpins it.

Mirza Al Sayegh, spokesperson for the DIAR programme said: “The culmination of this programme is a flagship event held at Newbury Racecourse each year and is widely acknowledged to be one of the best and most prestigious days of Arabian racing anywhere in the world.”

With races extending to Italy, the USA, Holland, France and Sweden, the international scope of the meeting will be extended by the introduction of travel allowances for international runners to compete at Newbury.

Prize money is rising by £20,000, which will be used to boost the Group 1 PA Shadwell Dubai International Stakes; the Group 1 PA Dubai Duty Free Hatta International Stakes and the Group 1 PA Jebel Ali Racecourse Za’abeel International Stakes.

The series has already started with the first recognised international stakes race for Arabians in Italy at the Rome Capannelle Racecourse and will also go to Sweden on July 4 with four races at the newly completed Bro Park Racecourse.