Newbury Racecourse CEO Julian can't wait to get into the thick of things

The historic arena will hold its seventh race meeting, titled 'Zabeel' on Friday, with the highlight undoubtedly being the Jebel Ali Mile

Julian Thick, the CEO of the famed Newbury Racecourse in the UK, is eagerly looking forward to soaking in the atmosphere at another iconic venue - the Jebel Ali Racecourse - which will stage one of the most prestigious races of the UAE horse racing calendar this weekend.
The historic arena will hold its seventh race meeting, titled 'Zabeel' on Friday, with the highlight undoubtedly being the Jebel Ali Mile.
And Thick can't wait to get in on the action.
"I would like to thank the Jebel Ali Racecourse for inviting us to be involved in this race meeting once again and for their continued and extremely generous support of Newbury Racecourse. This is my fifth visit to Jebel Ali since becoming Chief Executive of Newbury and it is a special treat to be back here again," Thick said at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Tuesday morning.
Newbury Racecourse are sponsoring the sixth race in the seven-race card.
"The relationship between Newbury and the UAE is a very strong one, built upon mutual respect and a deep love for the horse and for the sport of racing around the world. Last year was a positive year for Newbury, with some spectacular performances taking place on the racecourse, reinforcing the high quality of our race programme. Horses that raced at Newbury this summer went on to win 11 Group 1 races across four countries," he added.
Thick also reinforced Newbury's support to Arabian Racing in the UK. "Our support of Arabian racing remains as strong as ever and we continue to stage more Arabian races than any other course in the UK. We are looking forward once again to the Dubai International Arabian Raceday on July 28, which is the highlight of our Arabian Racing season and gives this wonderful sport a major focal point in the European calendar, with an incredible three Group 1 races being held on one day. In the meantime, I look forward to Friday's race meeting and to sampling once again the unique atmosphere at this superb racecourse," said Thick.
Meanwhile, the Emirates Racing Authority's Yasir Mabrouk said the focus was on quality and not quantity this weekend.
"This is the most prestigious event on their calendar and it is one of the more important stops on the racing season in the UAE as well because of the race's status. It's a quality field that is competing for the top honour at Jebel Ali and with past winners Shamaal Nibras and Forjatt ready to resume their battle, the crowd is going to be entertained," said Mabrouk.
"The other races on the card too boast of very competitive fields. They may not have the quantity but are of a very high quality because of the names that are competing. So, it should be a good afternoon of racing for everybody," he added.
Jebeli Ali Stables trainer Nicholas Bachalard, who saddles two-time Jebel Ali Mile winner Forjatt, was hoping for a three-peat.
"He ran well in Abu Dhabi and came back well from the race. He has been training well and looks in good shape so we will just see how he goes. But having won here in the past he should do well," said Bachalard.
james@khaleejtimes.com