Barsha Meeting set to usher in new season

Dubai - Jebel Ali to host first race on Friday; Muhaarar retired to stud

 Mirza Al Sayegh, director of the office of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, reconfirmed that the British champion sprinter Muhaarar has been retired to stud and the three-year-old son of Oasis Dream will not visit Keenland Raceourse across the Atlantic to line up in the Breeders Cup Mile (turf) Grade-1 this weekend.
"Contrary to earlier media speculations, Muhaarar will stand at Shadwell to preserve the bloodline which is missing at the Al Maktoum's breeding operations Darley and Shadwell," he said.
Speaking to newsmen at the Mina Al Salam Hotel on Monday, Al Sayeg said Shaikh Hamdan has returned from a short visit to Kentucky where he has acquired a number of new horses that will be shipped directly to Dubai to catch up the current winter season.
Meanwhile, Al Sayeg reiterated the directives of the leading international horse breeder and owner to back the Jebel Ali races while continuing his support for the promotion of the Arabian races around the world.
"Shaikh Hamdan Purebred Arabian Horse Racing Trophy will extend this year to Dallas in the US, Melbourne in Down Under and India as well. The organising committee will visit India shortly to plan a number of races for Arabian horses there," he confirmed.
Sharief Al Halawani, director of the Jebel Ali racecourse said preparations are well in place to welcome the racing fans to another exciting season which is set to start with the opening festival, Al Barsha Meeting, at the hilly track on Friday.
"It has been decided to give Friday's meeting the status of a festival to make it a strong start of the season. There are 20,000 free gifts to be distributed at the entry gates for the visitors in addition to 130 valuable electronic items to be drawn between the six races against free coupons.
"The prize money will include Dh40,000 for the pick six besides Dh23,500 for the double-cast competition bringing the total to Dh63,500 to be won by the lucky participants.
"One lucky contester will drive home a brand new 2015 Kia Picanto to be raffled by the end of the day against a nominal value of Dh10 only," Al Halawani confirmed.
The best turned out horses competition for the six races is sponsored by the Dubai International Arabian Horseracing Centre. The groom of each winner will receive Dh1,000 except for the feature race which carries a prize money of Dh2,000.
However, while Shadwell Farms sponsor the main eventthird race on the card,  the other five races will be sponsored by Derrinstown, Al Shafar Investments, Al Redha Insurance Brokers, Al Tal Engineering and Commercial Bank of Dubai.