Big festivities for final Jebel Ali race meet

Curtains will come down on yet another successful racing season at Jebel Ali with the racecourse management planning to stage big festivities on Friday.

There will be no shortage of entertainment to amuse the expectedly big crowd. The day’s showcase events will run at 3.30pm and 4pm carrying purses of Dh130,000 each. All races of the final day are sponsored by Shaikh Hamdan’s operations Shadwell Farms.

According to Mirza Al Sayegh, director of the office of Shaikh Hamdan, Shadwell Farms, sister companies and affiliates will continue their support to Jebel Ali races.

“I speak on behalf of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum to reassure you that, we are prepared to sponsor the whole season, and at the same time we are prepared to take the place of any sponsors that who would like to withdraw their support,” he confirmed.

The meeting takes place while the racegoers are looking forward for more excitement in the 16^th running of the Dubai World Cup night at the state-of-the-art facility Meydan on March 26.

However, there will be a special programme for families and their kids at the backyard of the Grand Stand with plenty of Shows to keep the children and fans amused throughout the afternoon.

“Our final meet, Al Shindagha Festival is going to be very special farewell to the season and to our faithful fans.

“More than 20,000 free gifts will be distributed to the spectators at the entry gates, in addition to mobile phones and electronic items that can be won against free coupons which will be distributed with the pick-six forms at the entry gates,” Sharief Al Halawani, Director, Jebel Ali Racecourse confirmed on Tuesday promising a fun day for all.

“Celebrations will start from as early as 11am. We hope to make every one happy. The children will have our full attention and priority. We have provided special areas for them to play and enjoy the afternoon under the watchful eyes of our staff.

“There’s room for everyone to entertain himself and enjoy a special afternoon at the outskirts of the city.

But Al Halawani urged racegoers to cooperate with the racecourse management. “The safety of the children as well as the horses and jockeys is of great importance for us. We request people to keep the place clean and follow the rules while enjoying their family day-out,” he said.

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 prizemoney of Dh2,000. The popular pick-six and tri-cast competitions worth Dh73,500 in prizemoney. And a brand new 2011 model car will be raffled off with tickets priced for Dh10.

The draw will take place after the final race and the lucky winner should be available to drive home his new automobile.